Vortex
by RattytheScourge
Summary: Candy came to celebrate the engagement of her friend - Annie. At the reception, an old enemy - Neil told her that every man - Archie, Albert and Neil - was mad about her. Will Candy swim out of this vortex of passion?
1. Chapter 1

\- Je t'adore, mon brave, - voice cooed softly in French.

A man lying on a luxurious bed, stretched lazily. His tanned body on the background of the white sheets looked even darker.

\- And I... love you, Yvette, - said Neil Legan. From empathetic ear Yvette did not escape some pause before the word "love," which was allowed by young aristocrat. But the actress did not pay attention on it.

\- You really have to go, darling? - Languidly she whispered, pulling his head down to hers and kissing him passionately.

It seemed as if this kiss will never end. Finally, Neil pulled away from her lips.

\- You are insatiate, baby. But I really have to go.

Yvette abruptly got out of bed, pouting offended. She went to the window and, not shying of her nakedness, ruffled her lush brown hair by hands.

Neil admired her, standing in the morning sun. Perfect форма, white skin, graceful movements ... Women! Actresses, opera singers, dancers, - how many of them had already been in his arms! It was a woman of low birth, but they were so useful to him after the awful humiliation on his engagement.

These girls make no problems, he had never heard the word "no" from them and he have not exert himself like with girls from his circle. He did not have to suppress a yawn, when he is listening verses of another sister's friend and admiring vulgar watercolors. These girls were facetious and fun, they know man wants. They could entertain him or leave him alone, could keep up the conversation about cars or business, because these creatures are constantly rotated among men.

They know how to be grateful and passionate, yes, for that you had to pay, but what the hell, why not? If he could say "I love you," to the woman who was not intended with him, why he will not confess his love cute little Yvette, who was so gentle with him? It took quite a while to accustom himself to say this word without this sentimental emotion in the breast, but Legan Jr. still allowed a pause before the word. Everything is ok, he'll get over it. Nothing heals a broken heart as fast as these graceful cats.

A young man got out of bed and reached for his clothes. How he don't want to leave the cozy nest of beauty!

\- May I come with you, mon cher? - Yvette giggled, knowing the answer.

Neil had put on pants and now he was buttoned up shirt. Well, he will come to engagement cousin not in full dress, but this will descend for him. There is nothing to brag about - marries orphan from House Pony.

\- I'm afraid, Yvette, where you will be bored. No fun, laughter - some old grumblers at this reception. I will be terribly bored too. - He yawned - a sleepless night made itself felt.

\- Poor thing! - Said the girl and ran up, hugged him impulsively. - I'll be waiting for your return, mon brave, and I beg you, do not make me wait too long!

They again merged in a long kiss. Stifling a sigh of disappointment, young Legan completed his dressing.

Yvette threw light robe that almost did not hide her seductive forms, and now stood, with a smile, looking at her patron. Ruby necklace was sparkling on her neck - yesterday's gift. Sometimes she gently touched cool beads by fingers - are they really belongs to her? Yes, it's not a dream, they belongs!

Neil looked in the mirror and glanced at his watch. There was something cynical and hilarious at the same time that he was going on Archibald's engagement directly from the love nest of fancy woman. He grinned - this was really funny, as if he besmirch their touching day. And because of this his mood has improved.

But whenLegan took the door handle, the actress called him:

\- Neil, my dear!

\- What's the matter? - He frowned.

Ivette nestled on the young man all over and whispered to him on an ear:

\- Darling, do not forget ... - she kissed him on the neck and whisper continued. - Will you talk to the director about that your baby needs a major role? I'll play only for you!

Neil frowned and pushed her away:

\- Look, Yvette - Legan replied icily - it becomes offensive. You see, I do not look like a man who breaks promises, I am a gentleman! Have you had a reason to complain about my forgetfulness at least once?

\- No, never, forgive ... - the girl faltered, trying to cuddle up to him again, but Neil pushed her with obvious irritation.

\- When I said that I'll talk to your director, I will do so. No need to remind me about it twenty times a day. Good luck.

The door slammed, and the young mandirty cursed. Сheap whore! Constantly demanding more and more, and he is already spent a lot of money on her. What a wonderful diamond necklace, a car, a dress, ruby necklace, payment of all accounts! And she can not stop, pulls and pulls the money, not even pretending to be grateful. It looks like it's time to retire this French actress!

Neil got into the car and went to Lakewood, where engagement of his cousin - Archibald Cornwell will be.


	2. Chapter 2

Boredom! Boredom! Awful boredom! Neil picked at his plate, trying not to yawn. How he hates weddings, and especially engagements. Some nasty memoriesabout it. There is nothing more disgusting than to see the happy faces of the bride and groom! He wished to go away from this laughter, fun and congratulations!

He was sat next to the pretty girls of marriageable age, probably for viewing to these beauties will make him a desire to marry. Certainly not! No talks about his wedding, at least for the next ten years, he will not tolerate! Enough of this nonsense. As long as it's enough for him of women, which can be bought for money.

The girl from left side of him began to read her own verses. Legan Jr. pleaded to God. Well, when he can leave this bunch of clowns?

The music began, and the dancing began. His sister danced with her new cavalier - Henry Rochester, he was an Englishman. It seems that Eliza was delighted with his handsome and suave manner. Neil sighed - sister was the only woman whom he admired and does not despised.

Why? Well, firstly, she was clever. Clever - it does not mean "took home schooling, is able to play the piano, dancing, painting watercolors and knows Latin," "clever" in his vocabulary meant that it was possible to talk whith her about everything, making no allowances for the fact that she is a woman.

Secondly, she had character. She had her own opinion, and bravely defended it. In contrast to these pale creatures who in any dispute started crying or babbling.

Third ... Why, thirdly, Eliza was the closest person to him almost his entire adult life. But time passes and everything changes. They are no longer children, soon she will marry, and her brother will see her only on a family holidays.

The young man's gaze of brown eyes turned to another couple who, no doubt, stood out against the background of the rest of the dancers.

These were, of course, the head of clan Andrew - William Albert and his adopted daughter still Candice White Audrey. If Neil could he contemptuously spit on the floor, he would have done it, but the rules of etiquette do not permit this.

William Albert, in an expensive tuxedo sitting on him like a glove, circled Candy in dance. She was laughing, shaking vigorously her curly head. Her dress was - eyes do not tear. Most likely, it was her guardian's gift. Perhaps soon Legan family will be invited to another engagement. Why not? Kind "Uncle William" carefully picked up the dress with so plunging neckline that although Neil tried not to look at the charms of Miss White, but his eyes stayed on the delicate skin of the breast future Mrs. Andrew again and again. Explosions of her laughter rang like thousands of bells, and her shouts: "Oh, Mr. Albert! What do you mean, Mr. Albert?" Oh, the curse!

To all of these pleasant observations the fact that he had to dance with the girls recorded in his dance card, was added. This custom was holy observed by Elroy Grandmother who sat in his chair, straight as a stick, and sternly looked around the hall in search of those who violate the rules of high society. It is better not to annoy her, so Neil looked at his card and invited this lovely young lady from his left side, this new homebrew Byron.

Dancing waltz with Miss Murdoch, who was nonstop talking Legan Jr. squinting, looked at Candy, who was dancing with Archibald at that time. Eyes of Junior Cornwell almost as well as Neil's ones devoured Miss White. "The poor fellow probably he regrets about his engagement," - Neil thought gleefully, and Candy laughed again and again, sometimes awkwardly stepping on the feet of her partner so that Archie had to keep her, and sometimes more cuddle. Cornwell's face became gloomy and thoughtful.

"She does not even know about her power over men ... But ... I think that she suspects about it and oh, how she uses it! 'Wild surmise lit up Neil's mind, and he gritted his teeth. Yes, she knows and understands. And laughing at them all!

After return his partner to the table and thanked her, Neil looked at the card. After he will dance with all the girls from the list, he can quietly leave the celebration. So it is necessary to quickly finish it.

The young man was surprised to read the following name of his partner "Candice White Audrew." What the hell? Neil darkly looked to the grandmother's eyes -she made this cards. What For? What is it?! Is it necessary? But perhaps grandmother knew what to do - members of family Andrew and Legan will be dancing with each other, to show that within the family there is no strife and squabbles, and maybe Grandma wanted to show that Neil and Candy get along well with each other despite, the last their engagement and scandal щт ше. Fine! He will not disappoint his grandmother.

\- Let me invite you - Neil bowed slightly and gave false smile to "Uncle William," who, of course, was sitting next to his stepdaughterd, offered his arm to Candy.

She made a face and looked at Albert. He nodded encouragingly to girl: "Do not worry, I'll make sure that everything is fine with you." Candy sighed and put her hand in the hand of Neil.


	3. Chapter 3

All his thoughts and all rehearsed phrases and gestures vanished like smoke in the wind, like a mirage, in the reality that Candy is near him, at the moment, when he hugged her. It's amazing how much power woman over the man when he loves her...

Everything was gone, as if it burst like a bubble, and he saw only her. The young man was holding Candy in his arms so gently as if she was a crystal, he suddenly felt how this girl was dear to him. While she was not around,he could hate her, talking and thinking dirty things about her, but when Neil saw her sweet face so close, he surrendered.

He loved her with all his heart, in her presence it seemed to him that he went back to his early childhood, when the whole world seems to be sunny and good when there is a mom and dad who hugs you, and something warm in his chest growing, spreading and breaks out.

He wanted to kiss her freckled face, hugging, stroking her hair and give her affection she gave him at the last "their dates," which he called them conditionally. On that day, when she carefully bandaged his hand with her shawl.

From what he could not connect with her soul, he wanted to take her body, touch her, kiss her, closer in any way, but he could not afford it. She rejected him.

Perhaps Neil was changed countenance because Candy looked at him in surprise and asked:

\- What's wrong?

She could be so different - "Neil, you seem to be injured," - she is gentle and sympathetic, "Let him go, now!" - She is aggressive and strong. She is so zippy, so elusive and so ... desired ...

Neil stopped. They were almost at the end of the hall, near the exit to the balcony. Other pairs are not noticing them whirling in a waltz. Neil did not hear the music for a long time - in his ears were ringing.

\- Neil?

Green eyes ... They burn him, laughing at him. "Ha, you wanted to forget me. All your women are nothing against to me! "- Her eyes cried.

\- Don't look at me so - he begged, as it was then, when he felt her power over his being in a first time.

\- What? - Green eyes looked straight into his soul. - What are you talking about, Neil?

There are golden sparks in her eyes ... Tender lips and mouth slightly open. And this dimple between two hillocks of breasts …

Damn you, Candy! Neil leaned over and squeezed in his arms girl's body, kissed her.

This kiss lasted only a moment, he kissed Candy's so gentle and at the same time hot as he would have kissed her if she was his. He put it in this fleeting touch all excitements of what is happening and all the flour from the fact that this is just an impossible dream. And before she knew what was going on, push or hit him - it was over - a young man released her and vanished into the crowd of dancers.

Candy put her hands to her flushed cheeks, one pair, circling in the dance,pushed her and then another do the same. The whole room swam before her eyes, it was stifling. Fresh air from the balcony to show the girl how to escape, and she moved there.

As in fog, Candy reached the bench twined roses, and hid her face in hands. Bastard! How he dared?! How he could? Miss. White got a shawl and started rubbing lips, trying to erase the kiss of this scoundrel. She choked with anger, helplessness and feeling of that this kiss happened, and she won't do anything with it. Be angry or be not angry – Neil kissed her. And it was awful!

Candy rubbed her lips by shawl until they got pain. "The scoundrel, the scoundrel…" - the girl repeated. Terry was only who kissed her, but now … Neil stole her kiss, his touch erased a gentle kiss of Terry from her lips. And Terry will never kiss her again, never … And from feeling of this irreparableness Candy burst into tears, as a little girl.


	4. Chapter 4

\- In what occasion is this little hysterics? – the malicious voice was distributed over an ear, and Ms. White sharply turned back.

Having leaned against a balcony handrail, there was Neil, having crossed hands on a breast and grinning complacently.

\- How dare you ask?! Candy jumped and clenched fists.

\- Oh, come on, Candy, stop it, - Legan said idly, and the girl bewitching by his unusual reaction suddenly lowered her hands. – Don't pose yourself as the conventual, understood! – suddenly her old enemy became angry.

\- Conventual? – she understood nothing.

\- Yes, conventual! – Neil pointed the finger at Candy accusingly. – You are sitting, crying, ah, what the horror, she was kissed! Enough! Don't play the hypocrite! I know everything about you, Candy, everything about your men and your avidity!

\- My avidity?... – the girl was so struck by his charges that couldn't even become angry. Probably he has a screw loose.

Neil thrust hands into pockets, and walked before Candy back and forth, talking like with himself, but actually addressing to her.

\- You cheated all of them, "the poor orphan". Everyone, including me. I saw girls like you, girls of a low origin to whom are greedy for money. In three months – the car, a diamond necklace and a ruby necklace! But she asks still, and still, she won't calm down! Girls from bottoms, they got used to count only on themselves, isn't it? They ask more and more money, because, when them will be parted, money is everything that they will have. They have no family, or their family is poor, and they have to provide their relatives. And the lovely girl needs a little more money, after all, doesn't she, Candy?

Candy began to blink,she understood nothing that Legan tried to tell her. Madman!

\- You never looked at people of your origin, no-o-o-o, any baker or a messenger of newspapers is not your lover. At first you were with the son of duke Granchester, you even met with him at the stable. But when you understood that Terrence is bastard and he will be only an actor, you left him and paid your attention to me. In vain I was jealous to him, with him was already finished in your small prudent heart. Few signs of your attention from you to me, and I already was at your order. You are undoubtedly devilishly attractive, Candy...

His look became more and more frightening, and Candy receded on a step. She wanted to return to the hall, but the way was blocked by her eternal jailer, and she didn't know how to slip by him.

\- But then you met William Andrew. I don't know how you guessed that he is nob while he was unconscious, most likely, the unconscious phrase or a casual bagatelle he gave out himself, and now you dismissed me already.

When I came to you to ask for your hand? what did you answer to me? "Mr. Albert IS NOT hobo, and he already REMEMBERED EVERYTHING!"

Neil stopped and asked the girl with a jeer:

\- And what has he remembered, Candy? Forgot? And I will tell you, he remembered that he is a head of clan Andrew! And you already absolutely tamed him to yourself, you lived with him for some months! What sense to marry Legan if much larger fish was caught in your net?

The speech power returned to the girl at this moment, and she exclaimed indignantly:

\- You lie! He adopted me! We were familiar long ago! I didn't live with him in such way, how you think!

\- Enough, Candy. Stop it. He, of course, is bewitched by you, and will execute any your desire. And it, undoubtedly, will be a gold ringlet on your anonymous finger.

\- It already my business! How you dare!

\- I just can't to look at it спокойно. But you can't stop on it, and at that time, so far you flirt with your adoptive father, you decided to discourage the groom from Annie. You are the terrible person, Candice White!

\- Archie is my friend! And Mr. Albert is... my friend!

Neil burst out laughing so hard that could hardly stop.

\- Your friend?! Albert Andrew? If you want, I will tell you, as the man, what he wants to make while he is dancing with you laughing uncombed and ruddy?

\- No! I won't begin to hear your dirty fabrications! Let me pass! – Candyi tried to push away the torturer, but Legan seized her by hand and approached his face to the her face.

\- In spite of this, I'll tell you … - he spoke with whistling whisper. – Friend doesn't give a dress with suchdecollete, attentively selecting your size, friend is not in your life every second, friend doesn't give you his surname, friend doesn't look at you as he looks … Even if he didn't touch you during that time when you lived together, in which, however, I strongly doubt, believe me, Candy, the rare man has such endurance … And now, when you nearby him and are laughing, he wishes one thing …

\- Let me!...

\- He wishes … To break your damn dress, he wishes to kiss your lips, neck, breast, he wishes to caress you, to caress you everywhere … he wishes ….

\- Leave me! Shut up!

\- He wishes to take you, Candy, to make you become his!

\- Leave me, Neil, - the girl rushed more strongly, or maybe Neil unclenched his hands, and, without looking, she ran forward, along other balconies, farther from the hall and from Neil.


	5. Chapter 5

Candy ran up hill and down dale, choking and having closed eyes. Suddenly someone seized her by the elbow, and she stopped.

\- Candy!

The girl, having been frightened, pulled out her hand, but when light fell on a face of the young man, Ms. Whyte recognized him:

\- Archie… - Candy took breath, she panted because of dances, run and indignation. Her face reddened, sweat droplets acted on her forehead. The hairdress was disheveled, and her breast swelled up and doun from decollete. The girl looked down – her decollete, really, was too large, and tried to tighten edge of a bodice by hand.

Her friend stood silently, examining Candy as though he saw her for the first time. It disturbed Ms. White:

\- Archie. And where is Annie? – she asked.

He looked at Candy, but she looked away, for some reason being afraid look into his eyes.

\- Annie… - Cornuell spoke with absent tone. – Anny is there, in a hall now. I wanted to talk with you. Alone, - suddenly Archie added rigidly as though having decided something.

\- Archie … - Candy looked up, and suddenly with horror saw the same thing in brown eyes of her old friend, thing, that she saw in eyes of herworst enemy, Neil. Love and … desire! She stood still, and the young man continued:

\- Listen, Candy, now I have only one opportunity to admit. Then … Then I wasn't in time, I couldn't. At first because of this conceited aristocrat Terry … Then … All right, who cares. I feel that soon there will be no turning back for me, and my heart understand that I make awful … mistake. Candy, I want to tell you, that I always…

\- Stop, Archie! – Candy regained consciousness and cried. – Archie if you will say one more word, I will never, never, you hear? I won't talking with you anymore! How could you! Today, day of your engagement!

\- Candy, - Archie took her for shoulders, trying to calm, but the girl escaped.

"What is with him?!" - Candy thought, wading through crowd guests to her place. She was upset. "Why did Archie … screw up everything?" There was such wonderful day, and Annie was so happy … And this … Why did he speak about love?

Ms. White felt burning shame about her friend, about his feeling which was no forgiveness, and also for some reason was angry with herself like she became traitress. "But I haven't do anything!" - Candy thought sadly. "I haven't do anything to make Archie say so…"

Albert already got up from his place and with anxiety looked around dancing place in hall. Having seen him, Candy rushed to him.

\- Mr. Albert! – the girl nearly cried.

\- Candy!... What have happen, Candy?

\- Mr. Albert, I … am tired. I want to leave.

Green eyes beggarly looked at the blue ones.

\- Of course, we will leave, Candy.

The young man took Candy's hand, and they left the hall imperceptibly.

Inhaling fresh air, Ms. White calmed down, but all the same, spiteful Neil's words sounded in her ears, and this meeting with Archie…

\- Mr. Albert!

\- Yes?

\- Take me, please, to the the Pony's Home.

\- To the Pony's Home? – Her guardian angel was surprised. - But, wait, good room is prepared for you here, in Lakewood.

\- Please! I want … to the Pony's Home!

\- Of course, Candy as you wish, - Albert shrugged shoulders.

Candy got into the car, and they went. The motor cheerfully hummed, but the girl instead of usual calm felt strange concern of being alone with her friend . Probably, reason was in an unusual dress, it was really … too open. Candy tried to tighten bodice up imperceptibly once again. She will not put on it again!

On car glass she as though saw the face of Nile distorted by hatred: "The friend doesn't give such dresses … He wishes … to take you!"

Candy shake her head, trying to shake out these words from memory. The dirty person, who has dirty thoughts …

\- Disgusting, disgusting person! – the girl also didn't notice that said these words aloud.

\- Are you telling about Neil? – with an amazing insight her satellite asked.

\- Yes … - Ms. White said with astonishment. – And how did you guess? – unexpectedly this insight brought her irritation. Her thoughts belong only to her!

\- And who else can be disgusting, in your environment? – Albert burst out laughing, having turned his head to Candy. His blue eyes were so kind, as well as always, but the girl all the same felt uncomfortably. She remembered how Archie can be.

\- Many, unfortunately, can be same disgusting like him, - Candy spoke with grief, remembering act of her friend. How he could directly in day of his engagement tell such nonsense!

Neil's voice as voice of snakes from bible history began to sound in her head again. "The friend doesn't give such dresses …" Interestingly how Mr. Albert guessed her size? And this dress which she put on after Neil's trap, and now? Means, from his attentive eyes her figure didn't take cover?

Candy tried to tighten edge of a dress up again to cover a breast.

\- What are you doing, Candy? – the young man looked at her, and the girl, having tracked his look, understood that he looks at her decollete.

She looked into his eyes, and with horror saw into them same expression that was in Neil and Archie's ones.

\- Anything! – Candy lowered a hand. Hands shivered. She was shaken because of indignation. What is it with them today! She will finish it once and for all!

\- Mr. Albert! – Ms. White spoke exactingly.

\- What? what is going with you, Candy? – Albert looked at his ward, the girl's face flared from indignation, eyebrows were frowned. – Only one your look brings me into a shiver! – he tried to laugh.

\- Mr. Albert, I will give you money for my dress. Ok?

\- Candy, what are you talking about?

\- I will give money for the dress. I decided so. You gave too many gifts for me!

\- But, Candy … It is pleasant to me to do it for you. It makes me happy.

\- I understand … But you shouldn't give me such expensive gifts, if, of course it is not not Birthday or Christmas. I have to earn to myself for living independently. I always aspired to it.

\- I understand nothing. You never spoke so, you were always glad to take my gifts! What the nonsenses, Candy!

The girl suddenly felt that he pressed her. It angered her even more.

\- Mr. Albert. One more thing. I said that wanted to refuse a Andrew surname . But it didn't occur officially. Is possible to make it, for example, on Monday, the day after tomorrow?

The young man would throw up the hands if it wasn't necessary to drive the car.

\- Candy! What had happened with you? Is it because of Legan you are so upset? What have he told you during dance?

\- No, it's not because of him! I decided. I want to be independent, free! I always seeked it! I don't want to hide for Andrew surname. I ask you why you can't help me with this my decision? – The girl almost cried out these words, and

Albert gave up.

\- Candy, I will make everything as you wish. I will refuse the adoption you and I will take money for the dress. Don't worry, Candy …

\- Thanks …

The car carried them to the house of Candy's childhood, to the Pony's Home by night road.


	6. Chapter 6

William Albert stopped the car. Candy left car and looked at the Pony's Home. Everyone slept already, and windows were dark.

The girl felt awkwardly because her friend has to go back now , but she wanted home so much… She wanted to the Pony's Home so much…

She looked up, Albert looked at her silently.

"See you, Mr. Albert!" the girl whispered.

"See you, Candy, " he answered softly. Candy went on a path and, having turned back, saw that Albert still stay and looks at her.

"He wants to kiss you, to caress your breast…" Neil's voice sounded suddenly in her head. Ms. White nearly ran and only by effort of will she went quietly. What it with it today? What is it with all of them?

Candy knocked and, having heard native steps, embraced surprised Ms. Pony:

"Ms. Pony! It's me!"

"Enter, enter quicker…"

The sound of the driving-off car was heard, and Candy breathed sigh of relief. He left…

Having refused tea, the girl came into the room where children slept. Having laid one of free beds, Candy, at last, took off this ill-fated dress and, having put on an old nightgown, she went to bed.

With pleasure having stretched on cool sheets though because of the size of a bed it was necessary to pull her legs, the girl sighed. She is at home. In is again the little girl of whom they care and everything is simple and clear around.

As soon as Candy closed her eyes, she fell asleep.

But she didn't have sweet dream. She had a nightmare. She ran across a field, and men, with this frightening fire of passion in their eyes pursued her. Their faces were distorted from desire, and they were almost unrecognizable in this new appearance. Candy ran as the fox from rack of hounds, ran, fell, she was catched by strong hands, she escaped and ran further. Feet were wadded, heart beat somewhere in a throat, and they ran after her, spurred of hunter's instinct - almost mad Neil, Archie – yes, Archie, her always gallant Archie and, at last … Mr. Albert …

"Leave me alone! Please!" the girl tried to shout, but persecutors were relentless, something more stronger than their consciousness forced men to continue a pursuit, At Last, Candy fell, turned over on a back and, being dripping with cold sweat, looked at the persecutors. The faces distorted by lust came nearer, hands began to tear clothes, to touch her… Candy cried…

"Candy!"

The girl sat down on beds, all wet from sweat, she wiped her face by shivering hands. Kids crowded arout her bed, Ms. Pony came into the room.

"What is it with you, my girl?"worrying, the old woman asked.

"No… Nothing…" Candy whispered. "I had a nightmare…"

Ms. Pony burst out laughing.

"Oh, It is because of surplus of impressions – dances, excitement, a trip… Have a rest, lay down, pray, and kind dreams will dream to you!" she added with a smile.

Ms. White obediently laid down, she covered herself with a blanket, but till the morning didn't close eyes …

From drowsiness she was pulled out by children's voices:

"Candy! Get up! Candy… Get up!" children cried.

"I don't sleep," the girl turned over sideways and covered her eyes. For some reason she wanted to be one. Simply alone in silence.

"Candy!"

Ms. White got up – it was time to get up anyway. Especially, today she should go to Chicago, to her apartment that in the morning to be at work.

The girl put on a simple dress, rejoicing t that yesterday ended.

"It was just a bad dream. A nightmare about which it is necessary to forget and not to remember anymore."

But what to do with Archie and … Mr. Albert?

Candy already sat down at a table, wished good morning to everyone and began pouring coffee on cups as suddenly Ms. Pony smiled cunningly.

"Candy, they sent flowers to you."

"Flowers?" green eyes blinked with astonishment.

"Yes, flowers!" children began to yell. "Even two bouquets!"

"And even three notes, " Ms. Pony winked. "It seems that yesterday, my darling, you broke many male hearts!" good-natured women laughed.

Candy got up silently from table and passed to the room where she was dragged by children.

On a little table two bouquets lay, to each of them was pinned on a note. And one more note was allocated with a simple white envelope, it lay alone without flowers. The girl took it the first.

"Candy, I have to talk to you. It is important. We will meet in Chicago, tomorrow at 18:00 p.m, in cafe opposite the Hospital. Archie."

Gentle fingers broke off a piece of paper in small scraps. Candy compressed her temples by hands. Archie! He won't calm down… What is it? What's madness!

Ms. White took the second one - a magnificent bouquet of tuberoses. From their smell the head was turned, and heavy aroma floated over the room.

"I am sure that you thought about me tonight too. As well as I about you. Nile. P.S. I will send driver for you tomorrow - we go to a dinner."

"Dream-dream!" the girl flicked out tongue, and carefully put a bouquet on a broke off a note in small scraps too. When he, at last, leaves her alone?

There came time of the last bouquet. It was the lovely bouquet of wild flowers, but beautiful tapes and jewelry on flowers said that someone carefully chose this bouquet before buying.

In a note it was told.

"Hi, Candy! You were upset with something yesterday, weren't you? I would like to make your mood up. How about this - I will come to you today, and we ride horses a little? In my opinion, it is excellent idea to bring smile at your face! Albert."

Candy was motionless for a minute, and then with rage threw a bouquet on the ground.

No! She doesn't want any horses! Any trips and cafe! Doesn't want! What is it with all of them?! They are so … identical … All of them are became mad because of her!

"I hate all men, all of them," Candy burst out crying, having fallen by a chair and hiding her face in hands…


	7. Chapter 7

The most opposite in this was that each of them wrote note, in absolute confidence that she will agree. At it was neither time, nor opportunity to cancel these meetings, and they knew it.

Walk on horses couldn't be cancelled because this day has already come, and it was already late to send the answer with refusal, Archie, in turn, knew that Candy will die, but won't write to him, being afraid that the note can fall into hands of Annie and wound her, and Neil … Neil was always sure that she will be delighted with his company…

Ms. White resolutely wiped tears and got up, having lifted the uncombed bouquet. Fine! She will go and meet each of them. She will tell them everything, looking in their eyes. The girl frowned, and resolutely left the room.

It didn't pass even a hour as Candy heard beeps of the car. She already changed clothes, she put on clothes in which she often worked. It was denim overalls and a plaid shirt. The girl couldn't ride horses in a dress, but take the riding dress which will be offered, most likely, by Albert, she already for some reason hesitated.

"If we just go to ride,, what difference how I look", - Candy thought, tying tapes on tails by habitual movements.

"Hi, Candy!" Her guardian angel waved hand to her. Guardian angel. Or friend. Or … unknown man?

"Hi, Mr. Albert!" the girl tried to yell this phrase easily, as usual, and therefore smiled too broadly and unnaturally. She again felt strange constraint and concern when noticed that attentive blue eyes look at her.

"Why he looks at me so? Why?!" Ms. White was angry. "He have saw me for million times!"

The girl got into the car and waved to kids and her mothers, Ms. Pony and sister Lane.

See you later, bye! … - voices disappeared in noise of the motor, and Candy looked at face of the satellite.

"Candy, I wanted to ask you long ago, but always forgot , " William Albert smiled." Why you call me "Mister" all the time?"

" I got used so!" Ms. White smiled in reply, but for some reason it wasn't so easy for her to talk with her guardian angel, as before. As though the invisible barrier appeared between them, and she weighed each word. And earlier she spoke without thinking…

"Well, I also wanted to ask you, maybe, you will call me just… "Albert"? In my opinion, it sounds much better, doesn't it, Candy?"

Blue eyes laughed, and the request was, in general, usual, easy, but why it is so difficult to her to execute it? Why she wants that her kind friend remained "Mr. Albert" how it was earlier?

"Well, ok… Albert, " Candy again smiled, testing strange awkwardness. As though she approached more strongly with him, than she wanted at this moment, and thus it occurred against her will. But all this was as though a joke, and you shouldn't have worried about it … But flowers? But dress?

" Mr. Albert, - the girl began, but the man shook his head and reproachfully clatter his tongue, and she recovered, "Albert… Will you cancel my adoption tomorrow as we decided?"

Albert turned back and, having sighed again looked at the road:

"Candy let's talk about affairs tomorrow. Everything will be as you want."

He kept silent, without knowing what to tell. Candy became such strange, in just one evening… And he didn't know how to talk with this new Candy.

" How are Annie and Archie?" Ms. White asked just to continue conversation.

"They are good. Having rest from vanity and preparation to engagement ," William answered quickly, thinking absolutely about other. And the girl felt it too.

The rest of a way they kept silent, doing some attempts to begin talk, but it wasn't continue. Always in their life there were events which they discussed, but now they were alone, being confused by each other they. Perhaps, it was because Albert always treated Candy like to little girl? And now everything is not so… Yesterday he understood that she grew up, and that he can't be just like a shadow or an angel, but not as a man. She didn't perceive him yet differently, than the elder brother or even the elder friend, but a small step – to move away this foolish "Mister." from her address to him, and, maybe, she will see in him not only brother or friend? Oh, how he want to ask her to call him "you"…*

Blue eyes with grief looked forward, at the infinite road.

"No, it's still early … She isn't ready yet... to call me "you"."*

Young people left the car and Albert as if he just noticed clothes of his companion.

"Look, Candy, " he conspiratorially winked."I suggest you to dress the riding dress of my sister – it is red color and perfectly will approach you! What do you think?"

To tell that the answer of the girl surprised him is means nothing to tell:

"Thanks, Mis... Albert! But I like my clothes more, " Candy hitched up her nose as though challenge him.

William made one more attempt about which, in a consequence, he regretted:

"But, Candy, after all earlier you never refused to put on…

He suddenly was late to understand that she could regard this phrase as "You never refused to put on those things which I chose for you – neither Romeo's suit and Juliette's dress, nor new dresses, and it was always pleasant to you, but now …" and stopped.

"Let's go to horses, " Ms. White pretended that didn't catch.

"Yes, of course…" the young man was already not glad to the forthcoming ride. Not so he imagined it, and, reflecting the night before that he wanted to tell Candy during this ride, now he thought, whether It is necessary to tell it in general sometime. "How it everything is at the wrong time… At the wrong time I invited her…She is not in good mood" Albert was distressed, but it was impossible to do anything already. "And this refusal of an adoption and her wish to return money to me… From where she has such thoughts?"

Also there is no sense to ask her, whether she like his flowers which he was choosing this morning for a long time…

Candy ride silently too, without doing more attempts to start nothing the meaning conversation. Everything went not good, and the girl for some reason gloomy rejoiced to this. She likes her clothes, she doesn't want to put on something another! For what reason!

And she didn't plan to ride today, she has a working day tomorrow. But nobody thought about it, nobody! And her job is very important for her. And eventually, it is awkward to her to name Mr. Albert "Albert"! But now she has to do so because he asked it. Why he made it? What for?

"Candy, do you have troubles?" the young man asked silently. "You remember, I somehow told you that how it is fine when two people divide something in half…"

"It is fine when both of them want it," Candy answered, and her even felt hot from these words. Why she is rude? Is rude to one of the dearest people? How such in general could come to her mind? But … why he speaks about it "in half" so significantly? Why?

"Candy…" William only could just whisper to Candy.

Candy felt that she is crying, without understanding why, and put spurs to the horse.

"Candy, forgive! Forgive me!" it sounded after the girl, and Ms. White, sobbing, drove and drove a horse away from her satellite.

*In Russian there is a difference in addressing. English word "you" have different meanings. "Вы" - "you" for strangers, older people, respected people, colleagues. "Ты"- "you" for friends, family,lovers, children. Albert wanted Candy called him as a loved one.


	8. Chapter 8

Candy has brought a cart with medications into the cabinet and began to place the jars on the shelves. Pausing for a moment, she pressed her hand to her forehead. Thoughts of yesterday was swarming in her head, not giving quietly concentrate on work. How nice it would - just forget, forget everything!

As in a fog girl remembered her return to the manor house, the meeting with Albert, their oppressive silence and awkward apology to each other, and then the road in Chicago! Candy said that she would go to Chicago by herself, and she had to catch the passing carts and cars, and Miss White got to her apartment just before midnight. And her nurse duties has not been canceled.

And today she have to to meet with Archie. And with Neil. Well, Neil is ok, she is not afraid him, but Archie! How could he, how could he so betray Annie?! She remembered how they were sitting in the cafe with Annie and Archie recently, Candy cheerfully chatted, Annie laughed.. But Archie was thoughtful recently, but it's probably because of unrest before engagement. She felt with them so easily, so reliable! Candy knew that she had a friend on which you can always rely on for life ... And now what is with him? Why did he want to destroy everything? What for?

"Candice!" a shout of a senior nurse was sounded " You still have not removed the drugs ?!"

" Excuse me ..." she began to lay out everything in its place quickly. Again she wondered. What to do? How to talk to him, so, that everything become like it was before? And that Annie will not know about this ... How to save the friend? "Do not take me Archie!" Annie plea flashed like lightning, and Candy struggled to shake her head. Madness! Shame, what a shame!

By the end of the working day she was already exhausted these thoughts to the limit, but did not come up with the right words. Miss White repeatedly tapped her fist by her head: "I need to perk up! I'll tell him - and he will understand! He will do what I ask, be sure he will do it! "Back then, in college, he did the same, right? She asked him to be with Annie and her friend kept his promise!

Candy opened the door of the cafe and almost immediately met eyes with Archie, even though he was sitting in the far corner of the room.

When she approached the young Cornwell got up. Candy swallowed when Archie helped her to sit down - he had such face! Such ...

"Archie…"

"You've come." He whispered hoarsely. " I prayed for you to come here and ... You're here."

"Archie! I wanted to talk to you. Archie, what are you doing..."

"Stop it!" A young man suddenly reached out and covered Candy's hand by his hand . "Stop it, please. I know everything. Let me say!"

Candy was startled by the touch of Archie's hand , it was warm, but today, now, she thought that this touch was something criminal, monstrous ... in relation to Annie. She gathered all her will and start berating his mad friend in whisper:

" Archie, what a shame! What a mess, I do not recognize you! You promised, you promised to be with Annie forever! Everything is good with both of you, the day before yesterday was your engagement! Is that the way a man does, Archie? Is that my friend does?!"

She clenched her fists with anger, hoping that these words will be like a cold shower, will sober him.

"Friend?.."Archie echoed as if in a dream. And suddenly he exploded. " No, damn it, I do not want to be your friend! Candy, I know, you start to despise me, but listen to what I tell you ..."

"No, Archie, stop it!" She shook her head. "You do not want to say it, this is nonsense, madness! That's not you!"

"Madness - is to hide my feelings, my thoughts painfully, madness - to lie, that you love, madness - to see you and be silent that I love you ..."

"Stop it, Archie!"

"No, Candy! Enough! I was silent enough! Does not break me, wait. Listen. I have always loved you and I now understand that my feelings have not been changed for many years, but they grown and became stronger! Candy! I love you, I love with all my heart and soul! When I danced with you that night, I realized that a little more - and I will lost you forever. And I can not put up with this! I can not lie to Annie, when I fell asleep, I dream only about you!"

Candy cried, covering her face with her hands. How can he say such a thing! How?...

" Look, Candy, is it - a crime? Why do you so treat my words? Is love something shameful? Is it my fault that from two of you, I chose you?"

"You have chosen... Annie !" Candy screamed sobbing.

He shook his head.

" I was with her, because you asked it. And because you've chosen Terry. But now ... God, why now, now I can not fight for the happiness of being with you?! And does Annie deserve a surrogate, the counterfeit love, which you want me to suggested her?!"

"Go away, Archie," she whispered. "Just go away. And I will forget that you uttered today."

"I broke off the engagement."

Candy looked up and, through a veil of tears, met with a strong brown eyes.

"Yes, I broke off the engagement. And, though it is not an act the gentleman, I feel happy. And I will fight for you."

She blinked, still not aware of the meaning of these words, but Archie had already left.

He left, leaving her in confusion, fear and did not know him so...


	9. Chapter 9

Candy stood up, heading for the door and wiping her tears when she heard the screech of brakes and a voice which was full of such terrible anger that her heart stopped in fear:

" What are you doing here, eh, cousin? Pasturing in foreign lands?"

Neil!

Candy opened the door, and as in a nightmare she saw Neil face to face, who was out of the car, and Archie. Neil's face was terrible - it was a grimace of hatred.

"I'll kill you, " he hissed softly, shaking with rage. Legan clutched in his hand a bunch of keys from the car and rushed to the opponent.

Neil was always weaker than Archie, but this time, being mad because of jealousy, and maybe taking cousin's by surprise, hit Cornwall fist with the keys in his face so hard that he stumbled on the sidewalk on curb and fell.

Without giving Archie recollected himself, Legan hit him on the head with the keys again and again, putting in these blows all his strength and hatred, growling like a wild beast.

" Nile! Neil, stop!" Candy ran for help, crying and trying unsuccessfully to seize hands of her enemy. "Beast! What are you doing?!" She sobbed.

Passers-by intervened and dragged raging Neil from the cousin who had already lost consciousness.

" Archie, Archie..." Candy called, stroking the young man handsome face, disfigured by blows, trying to stop blood running.

Later, sitting in the waiting room and waiting the doctor for an answer, she wrung her hands. The presence beside Annie and Mr. Albert, as well as Madame Elroy only worsened her condition.

"It's all because of you," she rasped, gritting her shoulder so hard that it pierced a sharp pain. "Dirty temptress, killer!"

Annie sat in silence, with dry eyes. She was not greeted with Candy, and never looked up at her. Miss Brighton clasped her hands and her lips moved silently - she prayed.

"Lord, let him will be fine!" Candy pleaded too. "Let him get well soon!"

Doctor came and said that the patient's condition is satisfactory, he awoke. There was a concussion, but if it would be bed rest, rest and proper nutrition, they may even take Archibald to family, in the estate. On his face put stitches and the doctor was ready to change the bandages, coming home to the patients with such high pedigree.

"Fortunately, the young man suffered not so much, as it seemed, but of course the face will heal for some time, and can remain minor scars."

Madam Elroy and Annie cried bitterly, but the doctor continued:

" But with proper treatment there will be no trace of injury. I promise you!"

"Can we... come to him? " Miss Brighton asked timidly .

"Only one person."

Annie cast a pleading look at Madame Elroy and she just nodded. She rushed to her beloved, and disappeared behind the door.

" Some people do not understand that they had better go away," said the old woman to no one in particular.

Candy quietly got up and left. Albert stood up, trying to go after her, but the aunt grabbed his arm.

Downstairs, she sat on the steps of the hospital and burst into tears. Her heart ached with pity for Archie and the horror and terrible guilt suddenly began to torment her being. "You killed Anthony!" "Because of you!" "It's your fault!" ... Is that true? Too, too many terrible things happen to people who love her and Annie ...She probably hates her... What is it? ... What? ...

" Do not cry!" She did not even recognize the voice, so soft it sounded. But when Candy took her hands from her face, she drew back her body and closed her hand as if defending herself:

"Go ... go away! Please!"

"Candy ..."

"I can not see you! Monster! Killer! You're a terrible person ..."

Miss White. looked around - and as luck as luck would have there was noone - only her enemy and herself. She tried to get up, but she ran out of power.

" Go away!" she said again, covering her face with her hands, to not see the hated person.

"How is he?" Neil asked ,suddenly and she replied for some reason:

"He woke up. But it's none of your business. How could you?! How?! I always thought that I had studied all your meanness, but that can you be such a beast, I did not know," and again she sobbed because of shock and helplessness.


	10. Chapter 10

"Shall I take you home?" the young man asked out of place, not moving.

The unexpectedness of this statement made Candy even stop crying.

"Home? With you? After all, that had happened?"

Neil raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly:

"Look, they will soon come down, and, believe me they do not wish to see today neither me, nor you. It is better for us, both, to get out of here, and as quickly as it is possible. If you want , your may go by your feet, but I offer you my services."

He offered a hand to help the girl get up, but Ms. White pretended that she didn't notice it, and got up by herself. Her head was spinning, and there were front sights before eyes. She was very tired.

"I'm afraid of you," she said simply, leaning on the railing and avoiding his gaze.

Legan sighed.

" Listen, Candy, why do you fear? Of the two of us the strength has always been on your side."

Candy heard footsteps on the stairs and said quickly, still weighing in mind the pros and cons.

"Let's go! Hurry!"

Neil opened the car door and she sat down. Distance from the hospital porch to the car she crossed hardly.

Neil pressed the gas pedal, and the hospital was out of sight. There was a bouquet of flowers near Candy's seat.

"That's for me?" She asked, putting face to the wind and sun. Everything was indifferent to her.

"Yes, " Legan said grimly, without taking his eyes off the road. "I thought to spend this evening differently..."

Candy put her finger to the bud of claret-red rose and sighed:

"What are you hoping Neal? After all, we have discussed everything with you... I had answered to you."

"I can not take "no" as an answer."

"Why?"

"I just can not, that's all."

... Agonizing headache, and the mist before his eyes ... What had happened, where is he? Archie saw the frail figure of a girl which was approaching to him. Who is it? Candy?

"It's me, Archie," softly sweet voice said, and he went hot with shame for himself. He had broken the engagement, but she immediately came to him ... She came...

The young man barely lifted a hand and touched his cheek, feeling the plasters and bandages.

"I look just awful..."

Annie rushed up to him and took his hands in hers:

"Fool..." she cried. "You're always very, very handsome for me," she whispered, kissing his hand, and Archie closed his eyes, feeling that he was crying too.

"I'm such a fool, Annie..."

At that moment he realized that he was chasing for a mirage, for a pipe dream, but a real native person have always been near him. And will never betray and will always be wait for him wherever he did. Annie was always with him, when he was ill she visited him, she embroidered gifts to him for the holidays, she made sure that he was warmly dressed, she was asking whether he had lunch today... And what he have done for her? Just accepted her love?

" I'm sorry, dear, I'm sorry ," Archie whispered, feeling that the pain recedes because Annie was nearby. " Look, Annie, let us be a secret engagement, only we and our parents? Without this fuss? Please, Annie, even a single chance! I'I will correct everything..."

She stroked his hand

"Archie, everything will be as you wish. Do not hurry, think. I'll wait."

"I want it as soon as possible!"

"Let's you make decision, when you get well, okay? She said softy, but at the same time, seriously.

"Okl," Archie said softly . "But shall you come to me... again?"

"Of course, Archie!" Annie smiled, and Archie realized that he loved her. Here, such Annie and at that moment. What a fool he was! "See you tomorrow, Archie!"

The door closed behind Miss Brighton, and the young Cornwell was alone with his thoughts...


	11. Chapter 11

Candy and Neil almost reached the home of Miss White, when Legan nodded toward the coffee shop, that they passed.

"Shall we have a dinner? You look awful pale as death itself. You need to eat something."

Candy swallowed and shook her head:

" I can not even think about food, especially in your company!"

The white shoe braked.

"You are not amiable."

Miss White reached out to open the car door.

" If you get sick, who will help you? Clearly, not your friend. Listen, Candy, enough making a scene! We'll just have a dinner and you go home, across the street. What do you, damn it, afraid of?"

"How can I eat when Archie..."

Neil rolled his eyes upwards, losing patience:

"Candy, I've already said I'm sorry! I am very sorry that you had to watch this! You by yourself told me that he was almost okey. What else can we do? Would it be better for him if we put on mourning and give up food, like hermits?"

Candy looked at his handsome and arrogant: face.

" You are really a monster. You don't regret about this at all!"

He jumped out of the car and clenched his fists:

" To repent? Oh, no, I'm not a bit sorry that, at last, having studied this insolent fellow! Maybe I should not behave in such a vulgar style, but it was his own falt!"

"Was his own fault?"

"Yes! Why he had come to you with his handsome face?! Ha, now he won't be so handsome... Ha-ha-ha-ha!

She looked dumbfoundedly how Neil cheerfully laughed, as though he heard a funny joke. He leaned back and laughed, closing his eyes with pleasure, stopping only to catch his breath and wipe the tears of laughter, and then began to with laugh again.

"Won't be ... so handsome... Oh, no, he won't!"

Candy felt that the darkness surrounded her from all sides, and her legs refused to serve her. The darkness deepened, and she lost consciousness.

Miss White almost did not feel anything, but gradually began to hear the noise of voices around, and then someone brought to her mouth a glass of some kind of liquid:

"Drink this. You'll feel better."

She did not move.

"Come on, drink it!" a voice persistently demanded, and she took a sip.

The burning drink acted, after a few moments her mind cleared a little, and the darkness receded. She coughed, she could not drink more.

Candy looked up and saw Neil standing over her. He was so close that she could feel the scent of his cologne and the smell of starch on his shirt... The fear approached with renewed vigor, and she closed her eyes.

" I strongly recommend to eat something," Legan's voice came again in her mind. She opened her eyes and saw that she was in a cafe in front of her house, and in front of her on the table there was a great dish - fried steak with Yorkshire pudding, salad. She realized that she is very hungry. She had no strength to argue.

Candy with pleasure began to eat, feeling that every swallowed piece returned her strength, and the darkness around retreated. She did not sleep all night because of worrying about today and forgot to eat at work, and perhaps because of it, she succumbed to such weakness.

When the meal was finished - Miss White, as always, ate every last crumb - she looked up and saw that Neil was looking at her, almost without blinking.

"Don't look at me so!" She exclaimed.

He seemed to awake from sleep, blinked in surprise and asked:

"What?"

Candy frowned:

"Don't look at me... so! I do not like how you look at me!"

"Oh, that!" Legan laughed and leaned back on his chair. "I remember how I asked you about this, and not once... You can look so too. It is frightening, isn't it?"

"Of course, it scares! But I never looked at you in such way!"

"Oh, no, Candy, you have looked at me do you know what you fear, when I'm looking at you in such way?"

"Nothing! Well, ok, I'm afraid of you! You're a terrible person."

Neil waved his hand, as if she had said something foolish.

"You're not afraid of me, you are afraid of yourself. Your feelings with me. You afraid that you'll fall in love to me and that will be stronger than yourself..."

"You're delusional! I'll never fall in love with you! You disgust me, I hate you!"

This time Legan listened to this tirade calmly.

" I had hated you too. And do you see the result now?"

"This means nothing! I know that I can never fall in love with such a monster like you..."

He laughed again:

"Oh, yes, it is so familiar to me. I promised myself that I never say you "thank you". I could not imagine myself with an orphan from Pony's Home. But now I am conquered, am tamed by you, I'm meek as a lamb. And someday you, will be gentle with me too..."

Candy stood up.

"Well, that's enough," she looked for her purse and took it. Thinking about dinner with Neil on morning, she took the money to pay for dinner. She won't be owed anybody."I want to pay for dinner by myself. How much did it cost?"She asked.

Neil's yebrows went up :

"What? What do you mean, Candy?"

"I want to pay for dinner!" Miss White lifted up her chin.

"Are you trying to insult me?"

"No. But I want to pay for myself. I don't want to be owed to anybody."

Legan laughed:

"Since when have you become a suffragette, Candy? Are you fighting for a woman has equal rights a man? Believe me, a woman is not necessarily to do it... Her destiny is to inspire a man for great deeds, give him affection and love."

Candy silently took a few dollars and put them on the table.

"It's enough?"

"Miss Suffragette, Neil Legan never took money from a woman, and today will not be exception! I'll be a laughing stock if I do it."

" I do not care!" She looked into the eyes of her enemy. Green eyes met the brown ones, and suddenly Candy blushed. What is it?

Neil took the money off the table and put them in her hand.

"If you suddenly decided to pay me, honey, you should calculate how many funds had spent on the engagement, which you had broken, then you can calculate how much funds you spent until you have lived in our house, and dress, two bunches, and other costs. You'll never pay off with me, Candy."

Candy looked at him in alarm, but the young man suddenly burst out laughing.

"I was kidding. But I won't take money from you, at least not before women take voting rights! Are you going home?"

Yes. Home! She needs to go home!

Silently they crossed the road, and Candy took the handle of the front door.

"Candy!"

She turned. Neil handed her flowers. When did he have time to take them out of the car?

"Take the flowers, Candy."

She shook her head, and quickly disappeared behind the door.


	12. Chapter 12

Candy lay on a bed and wrapped her arms around the pillow. "I'm so tired," she thought. "I have cried so many tears for these three days that I haven't cried for the whole year…"

The girl was sorry she didn't have a close person she could consult with. Oh, if only she had a mother… Candy seemed to have been doing everything correctly – making friends, wishing happiness to everyone and just doing the right things – but it all turned out wrong… Had she given a reason to Archie? Or Neil? Never, never had she thought of such things… And she shouldn't have offended Mr Albert – he only wanted to cheer her up, and she just vented her bad mood on him…

"Tomorrow I'm going to make up with Mr Albert," miss White decided. But she hadn't changed her mind about refusing to take Andrew's last name. She just couldn't follow the rules of this upper class, she was different! She wanted to be free and choose her own path in life…

"Mr Albert… I mean, just Albert," the girl repeated, trying to exclude the word "mister" from her lexicon. He might take offence again. But anyway, it was hard to call him just Albert! Why did he have to ask for it?

At night, she saw Neil in her dream. He called her "miss Suffragette" and laughed. Candy woke up with a headache and was nearly late for work.

When miss White rushed out of the house, she found trodden roses. The ones she had refused to take from Neil last night. She clearly saw a picture: this bastard, having been refused, is venting his anger on poor flowers.

"What an animal!" swore Candy, picking up broken stems that seemed to be begging for her mercy. "Some people are just hopeless."

The girl went back to her apartment and put the crippled roses in a vase. They seemed to have cheered up, and some of them, the least injured, looked proudly at her with their bud-faces. Candy winked at them and hasted to work.

At lunchtime, the girl sent a note to Albert saying she was going to visit him the next day in Andrew's office, where he worked now, as she would be free after a night shift. She wrote a letter in her common manner, as if nothing had happened between them.

With a light heart Candy walked down the stairs – the working day went great after a note to an old friend. "I must visit Archie and talk to Annie if there is a chance", the girl thought. Now her life would be back to normal again…

"Candy! Hi!" she heard a sanguine voice of a rejected enemy.

Candy lifted her chin and quickened the pace.

"Candy! Your dress is up!"

The girl looked at it, startled, to see if it was okay, and again in front of her she saw _him_ … Neil Legan.

"You deceived me!"

"Ha-ha-ha! I thought you were deaf!" he burst into laughter.

Miss White turned around and walked on. The unwanted admirer kept up the pace.

"You know what, you're just a scoundrel," Candy said hurriedly. "Every time I see your behaviour, I wonder how a person can possibly be someone… like you."

"You mean the flowers?" the old enemy asked, also quickening the pace to keep up with the girl.

"Yes, the flowers. A man would never have done it!"

"Woah, a man!" Neil whistled. He didn't seem to have lost his temper – on the contrary, he was being in high spirits today. "Do you know much of men and their behaviour? Tell me, how would a man have acted in my place?"

Candy slowed down and started to explain:

"Well, first of all, he wouldn't have vented his anger on defenceless flowers… or things… or anything. He would've endured my refusal to go out with him and would've let me go."

Neil winked at her and shook his head.

"Nope, not true – that would mean he didn't like you much. A man who really loved you would've never done such a thing. If he dreamed only of you, loved you with all his heart, saw you as a mother of his children and the only woman of his life… Oh no, he wouldn't have left in silence like nothing had happened."

Candy didn't answer, trying to think of a worthy response.

"Anyway, he wouldn't have acted in such a disgraceful manner…" she replied.

"Do you want to know what a man who really loved you would've felt?" Neil took her hand and stopped her, looking into her eyes, as if hypnotizing her. "At first, he would've felt very unhappy after you'd closed the door in front of him… Then, he would've become angry with himself for showing his weakness, for his feelings, his humiliation… And, as you say it, would've vented his anger on flowers."

Miss White slipped her hand out of his grip and walked on along the pavement.

"If he felt unhappy, it was all his fault. If he'd acted properly, nothing would've happened."

"You just like the weak, Candy!" Neil suddenly exploded. Candy stopped and looked in dismay at his face twisted with fury. "Yes, the weak! You like comfortable men, you like twisting them round your little finger and order them! Such… quiet, obliging, unobtrusive, indecisive, irresponsible spongers!"

"Who are you talking about?!" Candy exclaimed angrily.

"You know who I mean! Yes, yes, the very man who can live with a girl at her expense, see her off to work every day! The one who thinks it's okay that she's treated like an immoral woman – sure thing, he's got nothing to do with it, he is all so good!"

The girl started to defend her guardian angel:

"He didn't live at my expense, he was ill, do you understand it, you bastard?! Then he found a job! And when he remembered everything, he left – not to compromise me!"

"If I had spent the night with you, just one night, I would've asked you to marry me, like a decent man, I would've insisted on it! And even if I'd lost my memory, I wouldn't have lost my dignity, sponging on a woman for a living! I would've rather died of hunger!"

"I've had enough of this, we've got nothing to talk about anymore!" miss White nearly ran down the road. "And stop haunting me, stop or I will beat you!"

Neil feigned fright, clearly goofing on her.

"Such fire! Such passion!"

Candy swung her arm and hit him in the shoulder with her fist. The passers-by started to turn around at them. Legan only got even more excited.

"Wow! Not so tender, but still a touch! Give me another one!"

The girl got downright piqued and knocked him down with a push.


	13. Chapter 13

Candy fearfully pressed her hands against her cheeks, but Neil didn't seem to suffer heavily as he kept on laughing as he picked himself up. When he straightened out his jacket something white spinning gently around fell down the pavement. It was a handkerchief.

Miss White's sharp eyes read embroidered letters on the handkerchief: "Candice White".

"This handkerchief is mine!" Candy bent over quickly and picked the finding. "Where did you get it?"

Neil dashed to the girl and tried to snatch the handkerchief from her hands, but she held it tightly:

"Give it to me! It's mine, you gave it to me yourself!"

Everyone has such dear little things which he keeps and saves not knowing the reason for it, and the less precious a thing is the dearer it is to his heart.

Having got some knickknack from his sweetheart he takes it for a lucky charm, almost a living being, his love partaker. At first, Neil kept the handkerchief that Candy had used to tie up his hand on his table, but since Elisa took it away, he started to carry it around as soon as he had found it.

The young man took good care to always have the handkerchief around being afraid that somebody can wipe it out, or throw it away, after all Candy was so nice and tender to him that day… Moreover he had nothing else from his sweetheart… Having guarded his lucky charm for all three years, taking it from one suit to the other so that the servant would not carry it away with the laundry, Neil started to treat the handkerchief still more dearly, taking into account all his efforts for its' saving.

"Yours?!" frowned Candy, glaring at him defiantly. "Read the embroidery - "Candice White"! Give it away, I don't want you to have my things!"

The girl wrested the handkerchief, delicate fabric gave in, a zip sounded… Candy and Neil stood holding two parts of the unlucky fabric.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Neil wailed like a wounded boar. "You jerk! Beast! You've torn it! Torn to pieces!"

Candy moved back frightened, and accidental passers-by tried to keep away from them. She was not resisting any more when Legan wrested the second part from her hands.

His hands shook as he tried to put two parts of the torn handkerchief together.

"Look… You cannot restore it… It's torn, completely torn…"

Neil gazed from under his eyebrows hatefully.

"You've done it on purpose. You've taken revenge on me, haven't you? Revenge…" he said in measured tones.

Candy started to come around. This situation could have been funny if it wasn't for Legan's reaction. She replied peacefully:

"It's only a handkerchief… By the way, it's mine. And you're likely to have a whole bunch of them…"

He has already recovered his temper and stepped back to give way to passers-by. Having scanned Candy's face Neil realized that she has not understood what the handkerchief was, so he felt still worse.

"It was a special one… Still, who cares…"

He turned away, put the torn parts to his pocket and strolled ahead slowly.

The setting sun gently heated their cheeks, and in fact it was a nice evening.

"There! She doesn't remember! Nothing…" Neil kicked one stone, then the other.

"Wait, Neil!" her clear voice sounded and her warm hand touched his shoulder. He turned back.

"Let me sew it."

"How can you sew it?"

"I have a needle and thread along, I can repair it."

"But it won't be the same!"

She suddenly laughed – all at once, he started looking like a little boy, and Candy began to persuade Neil like a child:

"I will make it unremarkable, you'll see for yourself."

…They were sitting on a bench in the park and Candy sticking out her tongue from time to time doing her best was sewing the unfortunate or maybe fortunate handkerchief. Neil was sitting next to her and watching her sewing almost with veneration.

"Voila!" The girl demonstrated the handkerchief to Legan. He meticulously looked at the fine stiches which were almost invisible and tried the seam for stiffness.

"Perfect!" Neil smiled so joyfully that Candy could not resist smiling back. "Thank you!"

Candy was again nice to him and he lost his head. He knew how to act when she was angry, when she offended him, but when she was nice and tender like this he was helpless. It was a perfect chance to kiss her, but Neil was afraid to do so at the moment, because he did not want to break this happiness when she was friendly to him again. Her one word was enough for him to fulfil her request, if only she knew the power she had in her pretty hands over him!

"You want me… to give you… my handkerchief as well… " He asked feeling his cheeks burning from strange confusion like that day when he asked his servant how to treat a sweetheart.

The girl raised her fine eyebrows.

"Why?"

"You don't want me to have your things… And me, I strongly want you to have something belonging to me. For you to remember me at a moment you take this thing to your hands."

She burst out laughing.

"I won't forget you anyway, Neil! Then OK, give it to me," she smiled.

Neil took out his handkerchief of expensive fabric with exquisitely embroidered initials.

"D. Legan," Candy read out and asked, "Why "D"?"

"Because it's "Daniel"."

There now, she had completely forgotten. Daniel – what a beautiful name he had! The girl lost control and said "beautiful name" aloud.

"Thank you!"

Candy felt embarrassed and it was again a perfect moment to kiss her, but as if knowing his intentions, the girl stood up.

"Good-bye, Neil!"

"I'll see you off!"

"Don't worry, I can go myself, " miss White ran away so quickly that it almost looked like escape. At first Neil ran after her, but then he stopped, and following her with his eyes he smiled to himself. "She said I have a beautiful name", he thought…


	14. Chapter 14

"I cannot stand it anymore, Madame Elroy, I'm exhausted morally and physically… " Sarah Legan put aside her cup of tea and started to massage her temples. "Neil started courting that Candy again…"

The old lady kept silence having her eyes closed. Anyway, missis Legan wanted no answer, it was all clear. She went on:

"My great hope was that he would be finally fed up with the society of common women, and he would love to settle down, to have family. Then I would recommend a nice girl from a respected family. But now he is again falling to the ditch that he hasn't left yet. He's again seeing this wanton. "

"I am very upset with Neil, " Madame Elroy's voice sounded. "This scandal of beating Archie has hardly been smoothed up, and he hasn't even apologized. He totally avoids me."

"Neil is not to blame!" Sarah jerked up her head defending her beloved son. "This woman is to blame. She winds him round her little finger, and they say Neil fought with Archie because of this wretch. "

The old lady screwed up her face in revulsion hearing a swearword. Missis Legan went on:

"I beg you, do something! We should take away this… this woman away from us, better from Chicago. She will destroy our life."

"Sarah, not me, it's not me who decide everything," Madame Elroy scraped. "Don't you forget, I'm only a sick old woman. And Andrew clan lord favors this girl. "

Missis Legan's hands clasped her dress fabric.

"He also feels like marrying her," she whispered. "Have you seen them on Archibald's engagement?"

The old lady blew out a breath.

"I've seen a lot. I prayed for death after death of Anthony and Stir, though God must not hear my prayers. I think I will see the day when this wench sits at the head of the table next to Andrew lord."

"But it's terrible! We can't be having that!" Sarah cried. "Madame Elroy, couldn't we do anything, could we?"

"As for Neil, you can manage that, Sarah. Talk to your son, at least he is attached to you. On my side I will try to make William open his eyes."

"It's useless," missis Legan shook her head. "When I start talking to him about Candy, he gets deaf, and all my words have little effect."

"The same is with Albert. However, I could never influence him."

"Maybe we can do something that she will be fired from the hospital for some violation?"

"You're joking! The sooner William will marry her."

Missis Legan stood up.

"I can't believe we cannot conquer this evil! We should find a way out! We should find it!"

Madame Elroy closed her eyes more firmly.

"I advise you, Sarah, to talk your son out of visiting this wench. You can at least try to save the Legans' face. As for the Andrews' image, to my mind, it's absolutely shattered. Hopefully I'll die sooner than see Albert married to this vamp."

"I won't let Neil lower himself before this wench again," Sarah Legan said firmly. "She doesn't even want money, she just wants to mock him! She wants all newspapers to write how he's running after her after she has refused him. "Orphan Say Nay to Noble" " I'm seeing these headlines. I will prevent it. "

"Do whatever you want," Madame Elroy answered drily. "I am not at all concerned about Neil since he's trashed my Archie."

Missis Legan lowered her head.

"I continue to get on with your family only because I remember how we got on well before, Sarah. But now I'm strongly disappointed with Neil."

"Please, forgive him, Madame Elroy…" Missis Legan whispered.

"If he stops seeing this wench and becomes the old-time Neil, the one I always welcomed together with Elisa at my place, then surely I will forgive him! If he makes peace with Archie… You know, I'm already old, it won't be long now for me, why cherishing ill-will, why raising the dust! But, as long as Neil disgraces his family I won't be talking to him."

"I understand, Madame Elroy," Sarah Legan answered in a low voice.

… Candy was stepping out towards the Andrys' office, where Mister Albert was to wait for her. Well, just Albert. No matter, that day she was going to make peace with her old friend, and give back the money for the dress along. Everything would be the same again.

The girl could not wait to hug Mister Albert. His hands were so warm… She missed a family – mom, dad… elder brother… Someone to tell to all her troubles, doubts, all her dreams and plans, someone to seek advice of… But she was alone. Though she had a friend, her guardian angel…

«He desires to strip your dress off, to cuddle you!" – Neil's mocking voice suddenly sounded in Candy's head, as if penetrating the base of her brain. No! It's a lie! Awful lie! This Neil judges everyone by himself… He is so disgusting sometimes… Though, last night he appeared to be quite different. It was something real, touching, decent… But you can't just forget his nasty words about Mister Albert. It's unforgivable!


	15. Chapter 15

A golden-haired young man sat at a huge table in the Andrews' office thoughtfully looking on the papers before him. His blue eyes were sliding the lines not seeing them – the papers were a refusal of adoption.

Having taken a breath, as if he was about to jump into cold water, Albert Andrew without stopping signed the papers in his loose handwriting at once. That was it! It was finished! The end! Candice White was not Andrew any more, not his adopted daughter.

"I will do everything you want, Candy…" – William was thinking. "Everything, because I…"

Somebody knocked on the door insistently; moreover he seemed to knock out a tune. It could only be her… Candy!

The door swung open, and her smiling face appeared in the doorway:

"Boo! Hello, Mister Albert!"

It was like a load off his mind – he was so afraid that his words during their walk would ruin their easy and warm relationship, but Candy was in front of him – his Candy, bold, cheerful and… dearest…

"Hello, Candy! Don't call me "Mister"!" William reproved Candy tenderly, coming to meet her at a lively pace.

"It's easier to call you like this, Mister Albert… I'm all confused…" Candy raised her face peering into the kind blue eyes of her most loyal defender, and in the heat of the moment she hugged him. Albert joined his arms too.

She was saying something, but Albert could barely breathe – as if something squeezed his throat, his ears throbbed.

Candy! A most cunning girl with a perfect smile. Candy… I've seen you many times in many places… I've always loved you, always!

He tightened his arms as if trying to dissolve in his sweetheart, bending his head he breathed in the scent of her hair, and everything reeled before his eyes…

"I love you so much. Candy…" He whispered kissing her hair.

"Mister Albert?" The girl raised her freckled face and looked up surprised. "What are you doing? "

Her face, her green eyes… Her mouth half-opened in surprise…

He stopped wrestling with himself and started to rain kisses over her face, kissing every inch of her skin – forehead, cheeks, temples…

"Mister Albert!"

With huge effort of will he stopped himself and moving away looked into her eyes. These were child's frightened eyes. William eased his hold and stepped back. He turned away and came up to the window.

"The papers are on the table, Candy," he uttered with one more effort of will. What has he done…

The girl ran up to the table and snatched a paper. Then she rushed out of the office. The door shut and the man sank to the floor as if he had lost his force, squeezing his temples with his hands. What has he done?!

… Candy was sitting in the attendant's office and diligently writing reports. She would not be thinking about anything except for work. Anything! The phone rang demandingly, she picked up the receiver:

"St. John Hospital, Candice White speaking!" She knapped.

"Hi…" she heard the voice from the receiver that made her jump on her chair. This voice at the moment being so smooth and hush was like a snake lying in wait for a kill.

"Neil!" Candy was downright angry. "Why are you calling me here?!"

"I just wanted to hear your voice. The voice of my sweetheart. I miss you."

Saying nothing Candy hung up as if the receiver burned her fingers. Fed up! She was fed up with all of them! She just wanted to work in quiet!

The phone rang again, and Miss White looked at it as if it had been a living being.

"What are you after?" She asked angrily. Though she could not ignore the phone – it could have been an important call. It was not often that the phone rang; normally it was somebody from a different hospital. Not everybody had such devices, though rich families had ones… The Legans did.

"Yes, speaking!" The girl cried, and somebody at the other end apologized frightenedly. Candy also apologized before the person who called and thoroughly wrote down all information. After hanging up she continued working with the reports.

The phone rang again and Candy answered it.

"St. John Hospital, Candice White!"

"Daniel Legan, the Legans' residence. How are you today?"

Candy took a breath.

"Listen, Neil. You cannot call here and talk nonsense, people having an accident cannot call here because of you. This is a hospital, it's not your private residence!"

Irrepressible admirer didn't calm down at the other end:

"Nonsense? Is it nonsense to say to my sweetheart that I love her? What do you think?"

\- Stop calling me "sweetheart"!

"Why?" Talking to Candy over the phone appeared to be much easier than tete-a-tete, and Neil surprised at finding this possibility made a point of taking it.

"Because it's rubbish. Junk! Nonsense!"

"Is love nonsense?"

"It isn't, but you don't love me! It's your whim, fancy just to bother me!"

"So sad. You don't know me at all."

"I don't want to! Good-bye!"

The phone pealed again. Candy rolled her eyes up and snatched the receiver:

"Yes?!"

"You're so beautiful, when you get angry."

"Stop calling me! I'm fed up with you all!"

"Who are those "all"?" Neil's voice turned aggressive instead of scornful. "Who's annoying you except me?!"

"Nobody. It's none of your business."

"It is! Who's that, tell me!"

"Nobody! It's a joke."

"Is it Mister Richman?"

"No! Leave me alone!"

"Candy, just say the word and I'll do anything," Legan's tone made her skin crawl. "Nobody has a right to bother you."

"It's fine, don't worry, " she gabbled.

"I'll kill him, if I find out who it is, you know me…"

"Enough! I don't wanna talk to you."

"I'll run him down with my car, if need be."

"Shut up!"

The girl slammed down the receiver and burst into crying. That was crazy. Candy felt as if she got into whirlpool and was being drawn into dark depth, water body and despite all her efforts she could not swim out of there… No way…

The phone rang again. She answered wearily.

" Hello?"

"What's wrong with your voice? " Neil's voice suddenly softened. "Are you crying?"

"N-no, " Miss White whispered struggling to answer firmly.

"No, please, Candy, don't cry!" He reasoned her, but she started to weep heavier without removing the receiver from her face.

"Neil, don't do anything, please… you scare me, Neil… I'm frightened!"

"Candy, calm down!"The voice in the receiver totally changed, she wouldn't have recognized it if it hadn't had been for the previous words. " I won't do anything, I swear. I just want to tell you I'm going to drive you home. I don't want you to go home alone towards morning. "

Candy almost managed her tears and answered:

"Don't be silly, Neil. I can perfectly get home myself. Thank you, don't drive me anywhere."

"I know you can get home yourself, come on," Legan laughed. "Say yes, it's much better to get home in a comfortable car…"

"I don't want to."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to encourage you! I don't like you at all!"

"Whew!" Neil uttered. "What is it that you don't like about me? Are there warts on my face?"

"No."

"My hands shake? I'm a hunchback?"

"No, no!"

"Bad smell from mouth?"

"No, give it a rest!"

She heard laughter from the receiver.

"Then what is it you don't like about me?"

"You have evil eyes."

Silence hung in the air. But Neil put a bold face on and continued questioning:

"Although, we've found out that you don't like my eyes. What about my nose? "

"Nothing unusual."

"What about my lips? Do you want to kiss me?"

Candy slammed the receiver, she was all shaking. Why had she been talking to him so long?!


	16. Chapter 16

Having finished her shift Miss White stretched herself and yawned. She needed only to run home quicker, draw the blanket over her head and fall asleep. Fall asleep not to think about anything...

She offended Mister Albert today… But he… he was so strange, and she was frightened… Mister Albert loved her! What was she to do with all this?

She tossed her head. She needed to get enough sleep, and then she can take right decision with a clear head. And the state she was in at the moment she could have been and gone and done something…

Candy took her handbag and ran down the stairs swinging it on her arm.

"Hey, Candy!" Familiar voice with lazy bossy tones and numerous car hooters broke the silence of the morning street.

Taking all her courage Miss White passed by the red car without a word, not even turning her head.

Indeed in few minutes the persistent admirer took her by the elbow.

"Candy! Are you deaf? I'm calling you."

Candy jerked her arm out.

"I think that's you who is deaf. I told you: "No, don't drive me anywhere". "

He started to laugh, his white teeth glinted in the dark.

"The answer «no» from a single girl to a handsome rich single man has only one meaning – "You haven't been courting me long enough yet"!"

The girl quickened her pace.

"Candy! Candy!" Neil ran round and stood in front of her blocking the way. Candy looked up crossing her eyes with his.

"Listen, Neil, it's all useless. Your efforts to follow me make it all worse. I told you I could never be with you."

His face stayed all peaceful as if her words never hurt his feelings.

He smiled at her patiently as to a little girl and said:

"Candy, that's all talk. You're struggling with yourself, your own feelings. They scare and frustrate you. That will all pass, and you will confess. "

"Confess what?"

"That you love me. Don't say anything! Your actions towards me are the actions of a woman in love. I don't care about your words. "

Candy was looking in his handsome face bold in its' serenity. She felt as if some wild whirlpool was drawing her in again. Why was she listening to this trash? Why was she standing in the street?

" You don't want to get into the car because you're afraid of me. You're afraid of me and your feelings to me which you cannot hide when I get close…" Suddenly Neil burst into laughing speaking in such a tone as if he read her thoughts.

"That's crazy!" Candy bunched fists, a wave of anger swept over her. "Are you crazy?! Me?! Afraid of you?!"

She spun on her heels and almost rushed to the car, opened the door and plunked herself down banging the door.

Miss White jerked up her head and looked up at the car owner who had just approached.

" I'm not afraid of anything or anybody!" She repeated.

" I got you, " Legan replied peacefully, smiling to himself, " it turned out that he could use her wish to do something in spite of him to get along with her."

He took the driving position and turned back to Candy. One more trick occurred to him.

"You haven't closed the door right, my dear little brawler," Neil said and bending himself to her reached his hand to open and close the door again. Their faces were very close, and Candy felt his smell and warm breath. It was a smell of expensive eau de cologne and something else. His hand extended to close the door almost touched her breast. Almost, still everything was right, though this proximity… This moment seemed to take ages, or maybe it was just an illusion…

"Let's go," Neil said, and Candy felt her heart beating as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest. Why did she get nervous? She had a feeling of tedious waiting in her stomach, like before an important exam or something like this; it was pleasant and painful at a time. The girl swallowed and clasped her hands trying to calm down. What was it? Her body seemed to betray her.

Her fellow traveler kept silence as if he knew or understood what she felt like. Maybe silence without verbal duel brought them together better and that was the reason for Neil's silence.

In silence they left the car, Neil offered her his hand, but Candy suddenly started to worry again and pretended not seeing it she got out of the car. The young people were standing in front of her house, predawn mist trailed down the street.

"Thank you, I'm leaving, " she muttered having lost all her anger with him for some reason. She didn't like it at all and wanted to leave quickly.

"Always ready to help," Neil smiled again and it was disgusting. Why was he smiling so boldly, so triumphantly?! His face turned serious suddenly and he asked also in a low voice almost murmuring:

"May I walk up with you?"

"No, you may not!" Candy turned away and opening the front door quickly rushed up the stairs. She had a feeling if she stayed she would let him both walk up and… walk in. Out of breath the girl rushed into her flat and closed the door. Having turned the key in the lock she helplessly lowered herself to the floor. She was saved!


	17. Chapter 17

She reached her bed as a sleepwalker and threw herself on the bed. Turning her head left she saw roses on the bedside table which Neil had given her. They bent over her almost in the same manner as the one who had given them to her – viciously and inevitably.

"Enough!" She waved her hand abruptly and the vase fell down the floor breaking to pieces. He's at every turn! She pulled the blanket over her head and closed her eyes.

… A sunbeam stroke her eyes mercilessly, and the girl rolled on her side. Sleeping enough was so good. Candy woke up in a great mood.

Putting her legs down she felt the water. Oh, no! She recollected her night feelings.

" I don't want to think about it. I'm tired. I won't be thinking, I don't want to," Miss White was picking up the flowers and drying the floor, persuading herself not to think about Neil.

She was ashamed of herself, her behavior, all her words, all her thoughts for some reason… What a strange feeling. Never before had she felt like a fool as now. She was always pretty sure about her actions, she always did right. Why had she sat in his car? She hadn't wanted to… She did it to spite him and it meant that he turned the trick. Creep!

She should not have been thinking of rubbish like this. Today was her day off as she had worked her shift previous night; it was high time to visit Archie. To see Annie and Archie was a brilliant idea. Tomorrow night she could talk and make peace with Mister Albert.

Candy put the flowers in a different vase, washed up and had her breakfast. Singing in a soft voice she started to dress to visit her friends. Her inner female intuition suggested her to dress more unpretentiously for visiting Archie, not to cause trouble for him or… Annie.

"I'm his friend, and he should know it. Annie is also my little dear friend. It's awful it turned out that way!"

Miss White put on her most poor dress – it was a washed out light yellow garment which lost its' color cause of frequent washing. Candy looked in the mirror, the color didn't suit her at all, her skin seemed pale. The dress was a little too big for her –because of washing as well, and it hid her shape. That was it! Candy habitually made two pigtails, fixed them with a pink band, and went down.

…Smiling the girl passed the hospital hall. At the reception she knew that Archie did better, soon he would be released, and some visitor was seeing him at the moment. No doubt, it was Annie! She was going to see them, to hug them… Hurry up! Candy sped up at first, and then she rushed as she used to rush down the corridors.

Her heart was beating expecting a pleasant meeting, all her worries vanished at once. At that time Annie left Archie's ward, Candy almost bumped her stopping abruptly.

"Annie!" Candy cried at the top of her voice, but then she caught herself. Her friend frowned – she looked worried.

"Candy?" Annie required and her voice froze with dismay.

"What's wrong, Annie?" Miss White asked starting to worry as well. "How's Archie?"

"Archie… " Her friend echoed and stepped back to the door as if trying to obstruct or even secure the way to her sweetheart. "Archie is fine." Annie smiled frigidly. "Candy…" Candy understood that something was wrong with her Annie, she wanted to say something, but she couldn't or she was afraid to.

Silence ensued and Miss Brighton finally spoke. She was speaking quickly as if worrying to stop and never be able to finish.

"Candy.. I… We.. Archie and me – we're fine. I.. Candy, I'm sorry, but I don't want you to meet him. At least now, for a while. I'm sorry!" The girl burst into crying, but her back pressed into the door made it clear she would not let Candy see Archie. That was crazy! What was it?

"Annie…" Candy leaned forward and hugged her friend. "Annie, everything will be as you want it. Believe me."

"I believe _you_ , "- Her friend whispered stressing the last word. "Sorry."

Candy turned away and went down the empty hall. Her eyes were full with tears – she did not have her two friends any more, Archie and Annie were cut off from her. And she did not know the reason… She did nothing wrong! Why couldn't they just stay friends like in their childhood and in their youth?! Why did her life turn to be so complicated? Why was she always losing her loved ones, make an uneasy choice?!

…Miss White did not remember how she got to her work. Having reached the hospital she lost her courage and burst into crying burying her face into her hands. Annie had sent her off! Sent off…

"The girl who never cries is in tears again!" said a sarcastic voice upstairs with a familiar condescending tone. Candy looked up, and through the haze of tears she saw Neil smiling at her, sharp dressed and all over himself.

Caught by sudden self-pity, the girl involuntarily uttered not quite the thing she wanted to say:

"You say you love me… And still you laugh when I cry…"

The tears came back, and she fell silent trying to calm down. But if Candy wanted to give Neil a dig with these reproaches, she evidently failed: Neil sat down beside her and smiled, looking at the crying girl like a peevish child.

"Never trust woman's tears, that's the truth," he expatiated. "They are perfectly okay to be crying just for nothing. I know everything about you, my sweetheart, and I know that nothing terrible has happened today that could make you cry. And if you decided to cry because you've broken your little nail, I can't help you with that, I'm not your domestic henpecked man, who instantly rushes at a breakneck speed at any caprice of yours."

Candy even stopped crying in amazement. What a dead-hearted scoundrel!

"I'm not crying because of my nail," she replied defiantly without knowing why she was doing that. Why would she even answer? But some strange force of controversy or something of the kind made the girl argue with Neil and explain her position to him. "I was upset because my childhood friend kicked me out. She…" Candy started crying again, "she just doesn't want to see me, doesn't want Archie to hang out with me… What kind of madness is this?... Why?..."

Neil put his hand on her shoulders, and some nice warmth ran down her spine. Candy didn't move not to frighten away this pleasant and at the same time scary feeling.

"She is simply jealous of him," responded Neil to this unending torrent of questions, as if everything was clear to him. "I'd say it's not surprising at all, maybe even smart of her."

Candy turned her face to him.

"But it's silly… I would never… And Archie is a decent man. How can she be jealous?"

"Haven't you ever been jealous of anyone, my little wise girl?" Neil smiled. "Jealousy is such an overwhelming feeling that is absolutely out of your control…" he added pensively.

"Stop calling me like that!" Candy shrugged his hand off her shoulders.

Neil raised his eyebrows in surprise and his face become completely boyish.

"Like what?"

"Stop calling me yours!"


	18. Chapter 18

Their conversation was interrupted by brake chatter and an emotional exclamation:

"Mon Dieu! Daniel! What a lucky meeting!"

Candy turned her head to the sound and saw a gorgeously beautiful lady. She walked out of a red car, shut the door with confident carelessness and headed towards them.

Miss White was examining the stranger with her eyes wide open. This sylph looked like a bird of paradise – despite the daytime, she wore a green low-cut sequined evening gown. Her nut-brown hair was set in a quaint manner, and her elegant tiny hat shone like a real gem.

And jewelry! Around her lovely white neck she wore an emerald necklace, and her small ears were burdened by massive earrings of the same gem.

And a bracelet on her dainty wrist! And her little handbag, that also shone in the daylight like a small star!

The young lady was also examining Candy, and her green eyes covered with long black eyelashes narrowed with despise.

"Who is it with you, mon brave?" she asked, snickering, looking at miss White's simple dress, her pigtails and freckles on her face. "Who is this little bergère, hmm, what's the English for that? Shepherdess? After exquisite dishes, you wanted to try some village milk?"

Candy turned to Neil and noticed he had blushed – his swarthy cheeks had gone brick-red. He looked confused, he surely hadn't expected this meeting. Baffled, Candy looked back at the stranger.

"A-ah, I got it, mon cher! I have figured out what game you are playing… She, in this, er, dress of hers, goes into a big basket and then – boom! Appears without anything on!"

Neil finally caught the meaning of Yvette's words and got furious. He moved closer to Candy, standing numb, put his arm on her shoulders and shouted out:

"What do you want, you dirty slut! Get out of here, and quickly, or you'll regret it!"

Yvette stepped back and stopped smiling:

"Dirty slut? This is how you call me, mon cher?"

Legan glowered down on her, clenching his fists. His face darkened, his eyebrows knit into a scowl.

"What the hell are you doing? I wrote you a note saying it's over and attached gifts. I spend a fortune on you, you bitch! Why are you making a scene in front of everybody? What do you want?"

"In front of everybody, you mean – in front of her, right?" Yvette glanced towards Candy. "Does she mean so much to you, mon brave?"

"That's none of your business!"

"I got it, it's not my business," the Frenchwoman sighed, took a pause and continued. "You wrote me such a cold letter, my dear. You Britons and Americans are so cold. It's over – OK, as you say, but do you remember that little promise you gave me, Daniel?"

"What promise, damn you? What else could I promise? You've already fleeced me of all my money, anyway!"

"Don't overreact. You promised me a lead role in the play, but your little Yvette is still under-parted…"

"Oh, that!" if it were possible to incinerate with eyes, Yvette would have turned into a pile of ashes. "Listen, Yvette, disappear, okay? Go away. I'll buy you the part, I'll buy you the theatre, just get lost!"

"I got it all, mon cher! Farewell, my love!" Yvette reached out and patted Neil on the cheek, with the most intimate touch that the two people who were close can possibly have. Then she turned to Candy, and miss White suddenly blushed and looked away.

Having achieved the desired effect, Yvette turned around, showering Candy and Neil with a fragrance of expensive perfume, and ran up to the car. The engine roared, and the bird of paradise flew away.

There was a silence.

Then Neil turned to Candy – she was confused, blowsy, so small and defenceless, sitting on a bench with reddened eyes.

He bent a knee so that his face was at the same level as hers, and took her by the shoulders.

"Candy, listen… Forget this scene. I'm very sorry you had to see all this…"

Candy looked into his brown eyes, which were now so warm, and spoke quietly:

"She is very beautiful…"

"The hell with her! The is nothing compared to you! Don't even think about it!" Neil started arguing so passionately, that miss White laughed and gently took his hands off her shoulders.

"You were being so rude, that's awful."

"I told you, forget about it!"

"I've got to go. Work." Candy stood up and made her way towards the Hospital entrance.

"Let's have dinner together, Candy," Neil almost begged.

"If you want."

"I do, I really do!"


	19. Chapter 19

At work, Candy carried out all her duties as if she were in oblivion – meeting with Yvette had taken its toll on her. She was so beautiful… But the more miss White thought of Yvette, the worse she felt.

Candy, without noticing it, had this feeling of contempt that the girls, uninitiated in love affairs, have towards experienced women. She didn't like the way Yvette boldly and intimately touched Neil's face, and this languishing tone of hers when she said "Daniel" or "mon cher", this inviting glance through long lashes…

But how beautiful she was! Such well-groomed white hands, and long red nails. Candy sadly looked at hers – reddened after housework and work at the Hospital, short nails, – and she suddenly felt angry with herself. Why hadn't she cared about her hands? Of course, she was too far from such white and smooth skin, but nevertheless her hands wouldn't look so rough…

"Candy, you are a lady. It's time you started getting interested in dresses and makeup," Annie once said. Lady, shmady. Hell yes, she's a lady! And Annie was so womanly, too, her dresses so beautiful… She always wanted to be the best for Archie.

Candy looked in the mirror. Boy, there really is something to laugh at. Baggy dress, no hairstyle… For some reason, on this very day Candy's own appearance, which had always satisfied her, started to annoy her.

Freckles, hard hair! Is that all about her? She looks like this, when she is in the prime of youth and beauty! And how graceful this Yvette is! She moves so lightly, and if she runs, she certainly won't bump into someone and fall on her butt.

Candy felt even more upset and by the evening was completely depressed. It had always been a kind of a game with all these dinner invitations, but now for some reason she felt ashamed of going there in such a dress and with such hair condition, even with Neil. Or not Neil, whoever, what really mattered was that she looked like a beggar, like a "shepherdess"! What a shame!

And what long eyelashes that Frenchwoman has… She must be using a mascara, all actresses do. Her own eyelashes are, most probably, pale and short. But who knows… The nurses don't need makeup, but still Candy had never tried neither mascara, nor glow… She used to be fine about that, but today she understood it couldn't last longer. She looked ridiculous.

"Candy, are you okay?" Emily, a chief nurse, asked. "You look sad…"

Candy took a pause, and then suddenly decided to answer honestly:

"I have a date today, Emily, and I have absolutely no time to dress. Or, to be precise, I have nothing to put on!"

Oh, this eternal women's question – what to wear on a date! And women always come to help each other in such cases!

Ten minutes hadn't elapsed when a small office became a place for a council. Then, half an hour before the end of Candy's workday, they led her to that office and started dressing her. The nurses changed each other to carry out the duties of the others, so generally the work did not suffer.

During the break, Natalie ran home as she lived closer than anyone else and brought her best dress, and everyone decided it would suit Candy perfectly.

Miss White ceased to resist at the very beginning of the "operation", as the nurses called this event. They dressed her in a blue evening dress, so deep blue that her skin seemed to be glowing from the inside. Then, a silken scarf on her shoulders and Emily's charming shoes on her feet.

Judy was setting Candy's hair, raising it and fixing with hairpins, and Natalie was in charge of the makeup.

"He will be stunned!" the ladies exclaimed when they finally saw the result of their joint efforts.

They forbade Candy to look in the mirror, saying she should behave naturally, otherwise she would be shy and all their efforts would be in vain. That's why Candy felt a bit confused while going down the stairs.

Neil, as usual, was boldly honking the horn, and the car wouldn't shut up.

Candy came down, and then Neil saw her. His eyes widened, and he made a delighted sigh. Miss White smiled artlessly. As if having come to senses, Neil hasted to open the door for Candy, and she gently got in. For some reason, in this new dress all her movements were not sharp, but calm and even confident.

She put her hands on her knees and turned to her companion. "It's funny," the girl thought, "how the appearance influences other people's behaviour. Neil is always rude and impudent, but he's being so ridiculously quiet now." She giggled, but Neil remained serious and humbled.

Soft music was playing, and in the tender candlelight Candy felt like a princess from her childhood dreams. She must be so pretty! And the Prince?

Something must have happened, but now she was looking at him differently, and if they could be imagined as Prince and Princess, well… he would quite pass for a prince. His black evening suit advantageously set off his tanned face, and his brown eyes glowing with admiration were very suitable for the eyes of the Prince. Of course, casting aside his disgusting character, but what's the point of thinking about it if he was being so polite and gallant…

"I think you already know it, but anyway – you look stunning!" he uttered with such a deep feeling in his voice, which left no doubts – it was a compliment from the heart.

"Thank you," she smiled courtly and raised a glass of champagne. "To what shall we drink?"

The Prince's brown eyes became serious, and he spoke in a low voice, as if giving an oath:

"Let's drink to the Future. The Future, in which there is no place for disappointments of the Past!"

They clanged their glasses with a light sound, so magical and spellbinding…


	20. Chapter 20

Gentle music created a romantic mood, and an invited singer was singing "I love you!". Candy and Neil were spinning around in a dance, and strange shyness came back to the girl.

It was a new, unexplored feeling growing inside of her, it made her confused, soft, unprotected… She understood that Neil would most probably try to kiss her at the end of the date, but didn't know if she wanted to stop him from doing so, or if she was longing for the moment.

"What's happening to me? What?" miss White kept asking herself, looking up at her dance partner and then immediately lowering her eyes and blushing. What was it – a craving for love, a sudden resentment towards that woman, or just a very long courtship that had finally melted the ice in her heart? Or was he just so attractive this evening that even she couldn't help noticing it? Or had he just grown up, and she only noticed it now? Why did his eyes seem so tempting, passionate and tender at the same time?

Why had his smile disarmed her? Why did dancing with him make her so stupid?

Despair. Yes, it was all about despair… Or not, or it was just a turn of events. Why then had she denied Mr Albert's love?

Candy stumbled, completely lost in her thoughts, or just because Neil stopped.

By the concentrated look on his face the girl understood he was going to kiss her. That was the moment! If she wanted to stop him from doing it, she had to do it now! Yes… Now.

Their lips came together, and Candy closed her eyes, having completely surrendered to the sensation. This new feeling inside of her was relishing, breathing and growing. Her heart was beating faster with each second, and she thought she was going to run short of air. Obeying her new feelings, the girl put her arms around Neil's neck, then touched his hair, tousling it, overwhelmed at her sudden boldness.

When their lips came apart, she hid her face in Neil's shoulder, still holding her arms around his neck, and his passionate voice whispered in her ears: "My love! My only love! My sweetheart..."

…When Candy was getting into the car to get back home, they couldn't separate from each other even for a moment. They held hands, even if it wasn't very comfortable. After some hesitation, the girl gently put her head on Legan's shoulder – a touching gesture of trust – and felt how he froze, afraid to frighten her away, like a small bird.

"You're going to laugh at me," whispered, or maybe thought miss White.

She anxiously looked up at his face, always so arrogant and cold, but he smiled so warmly and openly, as if he had always waited for this question-slash-confession:

"Why should I laugh at you?" smiled Neil and raised his eyebrows, and his face was so open, kind and cheerful, that this new feeling inside of Candy woke up again with renewed energy, and the girl dropped her eyes.

Indeed, why should he laugh at her? How could one laugh at love?

They were standing on the doorstep, unable to part. His hands were so warm, and his eyes softly gleamed. That's interesting, brown eyes become so tender and deep, when they reflect the light of Love…

The lovers silently walked to the door, Candy opened it and they came in. Neil quietly closed the door, and the girl looked up in surprise – she thought he would say goodbye, but…

Neil embraced her, pulled to himself and started showering her face with kisses. A warm wave ran through the girl once again, she held the man to keep her legs which had become wobbly and disobedient. The kisses became more passionate, his lips went lower and were now kissing her neck. This sensation was intoxicating, a lingering feeling was stirring in her stomach, and his hands holding her were so strong and firm...

The thoughts lost their clarity, but when Legan started to skillfully unbutton her dress, Candy panicked. Her body resisted her mind, but… it was very fast, it was wrong!

"Neil, I…" whispered Candy, trying to put her hands between their bodies to push him away, but her arms had become so weak and clumsy that he didn't even notice it.

"I love you," he said hoarsely, and his arm slipped under her dress.

"Neil!"

"Yes, I know, my love…" he maundered, and started to touch her in such places that she had no idea about.

"Neil, I…" the girl resisted stronger, terrified by the thought that if she didn't stop him now, it would be too late afterwards.

Feverishly pushing Legan back, Candy begged again:

"Neil… Please!"

This time he heard her and looked at her frightened face in bewilderment.

"What's wrong?"

Miss White gathered all her will together, she was gasping for air, out of breath. And this damned feeling inside of her stomach demanded his touch, and come as it may! For the last time, Candy took a deep breath and tried to speak as loud and confident as she could:

"Neil, I can't… No… Don't… Please, don't!"

For some time, Neil kept looking into her eyes, but she maintained his gaze. Then he pushed her back so hard that she fell down.

"Whatever you say."

The door closed with that clear sound showing that the person would have taken great pleasure in slamming it as hard as possible.

The girl jumped to her feet, ignoring the bruise on her hand and a graze on her knee, so fast as if she was being chased. With shaky hands, she locked the door, then pulled a dresser, a table and a couple of chairs to the door.

Having barricaded from him, or maybe from herself, Candy sat on the floor and put her head in her hands. A terrible monster inside her stomach tortured her body with an unsatisfied desire.

The realization that she had acted right did not soothe her – instead, it was only tormenting her, and Candy started crying as bitterly as never before. Everything had been destroyed, trampled, corrupted!


	21. Chapter 21

The girl did not remember how much time had passed by the time she walked upstairs to the bathroom. Having cautiously unbuttoned the dress with trembling hands, she took it off and carefully hung it. This is Natalie's dress, she must give it back to her tomorrow.

Candy turned on the tap and started to wash her blubbered face with dark mascara stains under her eyes. She glanced at herself in the mirror – awry hair, red eyes… She never got a chance to see herself beautiful…

All of a sudden, a feeling of desperate desolation devoured her. Candy sat on the edge of the bath and, sobbing, started to pick out the hairpins and hairgrips. She couldn't even tell anyone that she wouldn't be able to go to work the next day, that she felt unwell… So she would have to go there and smile to everyone, carrying out her duties…

If only she had a family! If her parents were here now, in the evening… If her father were here, Neil wouldn't have dared to behave in such a way. And if her mother were here… Mother, who'd always be there for her, on her side, who could give any piece of advice and hug her when she cried…

But she was alone, completely alone! Her girlfriends couldn't help her either… Annie had shut herself from Candy, and Patty was far away. She was alone.

Candy wiped her face dry and went to her room, where she set the alarm-clock and closed her eyes.

Her dreams were so shameful that she woke up terrified in the middle of the night. She dreamt of Neil kissing, touching and caressing her, and this tormenting pleasant feeling in her stomach was only getting stronger. In her dream, she didn't stop him, and their naked and hot bodies entwined…

…The alarm clock cut Candy's ears, and Miss White curled up. She moved her arm and winced – she had hurt it yesterday, and it had taken its toll on her. Having dropped her legs down from the bed, Candy noticed a large bruise on her knee. Great evening, and no mistake!

She had to go to work. Miss White had a cup of coffee, trying to dampen the headache, washed her face for a long time, doing her best to make it look all right, put on a dress with long sleeves and a hem to hide the bruises on the knees and walked towards the Hospital, trying not to limp.

Fortunately, there was so much work that the nurses did not notice any insincerity in Candy's cheerful behavior and her story. She eagerly thanked the girls for their help, and told them with a huge smile about his admiration of her beauty and elegance, winked while speaking about the dance, music, champagne and romantic confessions. The only thing she did not tell them about was the ending.

Delighted sighs and a twinge of envy in the girls' voices meant she succeeded again in playing her role – the role of a happy girl. Then there was work.

Trying not to limp too much, she ran back and forth with a trolley, applied bandages, took temperature and smiled, hiding the pain in her elbow that started to swell.

Roll on the evening…

"Candy, you have a visitor!" Natalie disturbed her thoughts so fast that Candy nearly dropped a jar of pills.

"A visitor?" the girl whispered perplexedly, and suddenly the picture of yesterday evening appeared in front of her eyes. Scoundrel! Now he's come as if nothing happened! "I won't go," Candy jerked up her chin. "Tell him that."

"Him?" Natalie blinked in surprise. "It is an elderly lady."

"An elderly lady?" miss White asked. It must be madam Elroy. What does she want?

Candy walked nervously along the corridor that led to the visitors' room.

It was madam Elroy indeed. She was sitting on a short sofa, wrapped up in her poncho, and looked like a heap of things. Only pristine white upsweep hair indicated that it was an old lady.

Candy stood in front of her and folded her hands, like a little girl, afraid of even sitting down in her presence – Candy had always felt awe for madam Elroy.

"Did you call me, Ma'am?" she asked.

The old lady did not even deign an answer. She was sitting with her eyes barely open, as if even looking at the world was beneath her dignity.

"William Albert left today. What do you know about this?" she gnashed, getting straight to the point, which was the reason of her visit. "I guess he hasn't taken you with him."

The news was a thunderbolt to Candy. She put her hand to her mouth in terror.

"What?! Mister Albert?! Left?! Where?! Why?!"

Madam Elroy frowned and half opened her eyes.

"This is what I want to know, where he left and why. I guess it is not due to my old charms that he abandoned everything and wandered out. But you seem to know nothing, you useless creature… I shouldn't have come here."

Having dropped a sigh, the old lady went past stupefied Candy, hissing to herself:

"Shameless wench… Brought nothing but trouble…"

Candy woke out of stupefaction and bolted. She ran downstairs, but then remembered she hadn't asked a permission to leave Hospital. She came back to the chief doctor's office – she couldn't just leave her patients even in such an emergency.

Feverishly trying to explain the circumstances, with great effort did the girl beg for a couple of unpaid days-off and whipped downstairs.

The knee was aching when she was hitchhiking a carriage, and by the time she arrived at the port it had started to hurt so bad that she hardly got out of the coach.

There were not so many people at the quay – the ship must have already departed, and it was quite calm there. Candy looked around and called with hope:

"Mister Albert! Mister Albert!"


	22. Chapter 22

"I hoped you wouldn't come here, hoped you didn't care about mister Rich Guy, but alas…" said a cold voice, full of contempt and the same condescending tone. Neil. He appeared so close, in his grey summer cloak, and a white collar of his shirt emphasized his swarthy face. Legan came up very close to the girl and added: "But here you are."

"Neil…" echoed miss White. "What are you doinghere? How did you know I'd be here?"

"It wasn't that hard," he replied calmly, putting his hands in the pockets and walking round her. "I heard that Albert had run off and that Grandma was going to visit you in the Hospital, so I figured out you'd learn everything soon." Neil spoke in a calm manner, as if he were telling this story to a third person. "And I thought if you didn't love him, you'd of course stay there and keep working. But if you cared for him, you'd run here at full speed."

Legan stopped right in front of Candy and looked down at her. His eyes became evil and cold again.

"And here you are."

Candy didn't say anything, suddenly feeling guilty. As though coming here was something bad…

Neil continued to walk back and forth.

"I know where his ship has sailed, I know where he's going. I've been watching him. I can tell it to you and lend you some money for a ticket… So you'll sail right after him, catch up with him and you will live happily ever after in a hut that the savages are believed to build from shit…"

The girl moved backwards in fear, but Neil was pressing on her, getting more and more enraged:

"What, what is he better at than me, I'm asking you? What can he give you than I can't?"

"You're speaking of me as some kind of thing!" miss White resented, which totally drove Legan up the wall:

"Yes, you are a thing!" he screamed so loudly that people at the quay started to look back at them. "You're a thing, although I always tend to forget about it! You don't feel anything, you don't love anyone. But I'll be damned, I'll buy you with the whole bloody schmear of yours!"

He stopped in front of Candy and, seethed by even more anger, shouted at her, shaking his fists at her face:

"Dirty slut! You pretend to be a goddamn tight-ass, and still you're ready to run after him to the end of the world!"

Candy stepped back, but having heard the last cursing, took a swing and fetched a slap across his face.

For some reason, instead of making her angry, his words hurt her, and hurt pretty much. She hit him so that he would shut up.

A slap sounded like a shot, and Neil gripped hold of his face.

"How… how dare you hit me, you dirty orphan?" Legan seemed to be more surprised than furious.

Candy looked at his face – so handsome and so rude.

"Yes!" she said in a pitchy voice. "Yes… I'm an orphan. I have… no parents." The girl took a deep breath, trying to hold the upcoming tears. For some reason, she wanted Neil to feel her pain, to understand her. "Noone… no one can stand up for me. You can abuse me and say whatever you want, you'll be safe. I'm all alone."

Miss White turned around and, feeling she was already crying, went away in a brisk pace. She wished he didn't see her crying again!

"Candy!" Neil called her, and she broke into a trot. The pain in her leg was unbearable.

"Candy!" she heard close to her and ran faster, but her shoe got in a hole, and Candy fell down.

"Candy!" Neil yelled once again, running up to the motionless girl. He took her by the forearm to help her rise, but Candy suddenly winced and cried out in pain.

"Don't touch!"

Legan jerked back his hand, and the girl rolled over to her back. Through the haze of tears, she saw a blue sky with the clouds and his scared face, bent over her.

"My arm…" Candy whispered with whitened lips. "It hurts…" she uttered and closed her eyes. The darkness surrounded her, mercifully saving her from pain.

The last thing she remembered was someone lifting her from the ground and cuddling her. She felt the warmth of this person's body, and a pleasant scent of perfume tickled her nostrils. Then she fell unconscious.


	23. Chapter 23

…The words were distant and indistinct.

"Muscle stretch and elbow contusion… She needs rest for a minimum of two days, and she'll be fine…"

Candy turned her head to the voice and struggled to unstick her eyelashes. She saw the doctor disappear behind the door, and Neil – yes, it was Neil in a white lab coat – came up to her bed.

Miss White tried to remember how she ended up here. Ofcourse – mister Albert! He'd left! She had to find him!

"I have to find mister Albert…" whispered Candy, when Neil bent over her. "Perhaps it's not too late yet…"

His brown eyes got larger, and Legan blinked several times in surprise. Then he crashed down on a chair, holding up his hands to heaven.

"Dear God! Woman! At least for now, don't freak me out, bothering about your lover in my presence! I don't know where he is now, and I don't care! I lied to you! Maybe he sailed away, maybe he drowned or went down somewhere else, the hell with him! I hope I never see him around again."

"Why do you hate him so much?" Candy asked quietly.

"Oh, that's an easy question. I hate him because he is your lover!"

Only hearing this word for the second time, the girl understood its meaning, and she resented, forgetting everything that had troubled her a few seconds ago:

"What a lot of rubbish! How dare you say such things? That is nonsense!"

"I just call a spade a spade."

Candy abruptly sat up in her bed, wincing with pain in the bandaged arm.

"You're mean. I'm leaving. I'm scared of you. And if you follow me, I will scream and call for help."

She tried to move her legs off the bed, and a sharp twinge of pain cut through her knee.

Neil was looking at the girl with his eyes half closed. He seemed to be watching her attempts with curiosity.

"Don't be silly. You won't go far anyway. What a restless lady! Go to bed and try to get somes leep. And…" his face suddenly became serious and concerned. "Are you really scared of me?"

Miss White moved away from him.

"Yes, Iam."

"But why?" he seemed to be sincerely surprised. Candy looked into his face and could not understand, how on Earth could a man be so insensitive, so self-assured and so rude without realizing all this.

She sighed.

"I must find mister Albert. Imust!" Candy clasped her hands. "He must be all alone right now… He hasn't taken any money."

Neil sighed in turn.

"You are incorrigible. Stop wet-nursing him, he's a grown-up man. He can take care of himself. If he left, then it was his decision. He'll handle it. I'm not going to listen to you whining about your lover, that's nonsense! That's humiliating!"

"Are you mad? Who do you keep calling him my "lover"?" Candy lost her patience. "How dare you call him my lover? How dare you call me… like that?!"

"Like what?"

"Well, like what you said."

Of course, he shouldn't have called her a slut. It surely wasn't the best thing he had ever said. Neil took a deep breath and smiled disarmingly.

"Well, I'm sorry," he wanted to pat her cheek, but Candy turned away. "I shouldn't have done that, it won't happen again. But you, my love… don't freak me out by telling me about your lover's health. It's not always a pleasant thing to hear, you know."

"HE'S NOT MY LOVER!"

There was something in her vehemence that put him on the alert, giving rise to an insane hope. Carefully breathing, Legan put a toe in the water.

"Not…your lover? Who, then?"

"He's like my elder brother," Candy replied, not understanding why. Memories surrounded her. "I owe my life to him… When… when I ran away and fell asleep in the boat, it fell down the waterfall. He saved me. That's how we met… He's kind, he loves animals… And when… when I felt sad, he'dalways cheer me up!" A tear rand own the girl's cheek. "But some people see only filth I can't leave him now, I can't! Now that he's left because of me."

"Maybe it was not because of you. Maybe he just couldn't live among normal people. You said he's better off with animals," Neil vented spleen upon his rival.

But Candy seemed to perceive it as a simple piece of information, not a scoff.

"Perhaps you're right. All these responsibilities, this upper class… And this status of Head of Andrew clan. It has always been strange to him. And moreover, we had a fight. Ugh, it is all my fault."

"I don't think it's your fault," Legan showed nobility, feeling that the girl was deep in her thoughts and realizing that now it was his chance to ask the questions that were carved with fire every night in front of his eyes.

He reached out to pat Candy on the hand, and only shivering fingers could give away his anxiety. "I'll keep calm…" he thought. "I'll keep calm whatever I hear."

Candy sat still, most probably thinking of where her "elder brother" could have gone.

"You couldn't have offended him on purpose, could you?" Neil continued. "You were so close to him… You must have seen each other quite often."

"Not really," miss White uttered pensively. "He would always appear, and then disappear again… But he was always there for me when I felt upset."

"And then you, too, helped him, right? When you… when you were living… together?" Oh, how agonizing it was to say these words! They hadn't come cheap. The shiver in his fingers got stronger, and if anyone had looked in Neil's eyes, they would have shrunk back. But Candy was looking in to the distance.

"Yes, I sat at his bedside. He lost his memory, and they refused to treat him in Hospital. It was horrible! I couldn't have left him!"

"Of course you couldn't have," Neil gnashed, breathing out slowly. Another try…

"And when… when you were living together… it was so great, wasn't it? Did he meet you in the evening?"

Miss White smiled warmly.

"Yeah, sure. He cooked delicious dinner!"

"And did he kiss you when he saw you?"

Candy came to herself and looked at Neil with resentment.

"Kissed? What, no, of course not!"

Legan gave another smile to her, trying not to frighten her.

"Why such heat? What's wrong if he, say, kissed you when meeting you? I would do it!"

The girl sniffed and turned away.

"He's not so mean as you are."

Oh, this jealous heart! It hopes so much that your beloved person led a monastic life before you!

"Well, of course he's not so mean," Nei lagreed hastily. "And when you went to bed, did he say good night to you?"

Candy looked at Neil as if he had gone mad. His glance became frightful, and she once again moved back to the wall, away from him.

"Good night…?" she asked, feeling her heart was beating like a bird, caught in a clap-net.

"Well, yes. Good night," Legan's voice was strangely calm, but this chilling glow in his eyes scared her more and more. "Did he kiss you good night?"

"Of course not! What kind of interrogation is this?! I'm scared of you, Neil, stop it!"

"There, there, Candy, don't be afraid…" Neil tried to laugh and smile to make the girl calm down, and he was almost successful in it. Candy was looking at him cautiously, but he had already turned back to normal – the dreadful glow in his eyes had disappeared, and she even thought – why had she been so scared?


	24. Chapter 24

Candy put her head on a pillow, tired. She had no strength to move, and the pain in her leg and elbow started to pulse with fresh force.

Neil bent over her to rearrange the blanket, but stopped short, amazed by the fear reflected in the girl's eyes.

"What now?!" he asked with irritation. "This look, what does it mean?"

Neil tried to remember the reason for the girl's caprice, and then it dawned on him.

"Oh, this!" he laughed. "Well, it was all your fault, Candy. Trust me, in my place, any other man would not have stopped."

"You're... a monster!"

"A monster? Why? You were up to this, too, you knew what was going to happen. It was you who invited me in, and then you suddenly changed your mind. Of course I got mad!"

"I… I was up to this?"

"Sure thing! Then, following your typical women's habit, you decided that you gave up too fast and backed out."

Candy blinked blankly, and Neil suddenly felt awkward, as if he had hit a child. Had he been wrong? Was she really not as experienced as he had thought?

"I… I didn't even know that something like that could happen… that someone can do such… things…" she murmured. Her eyes were filled with terror – she seemed to be recalling what had happened that night.

Was he that wrong? This can't be! But she played her role so sincerely, so…

Legan couldn't stop from asking the last question:

"Candy. Candy, do you hear me? Listen, so, you mean that… no one had ever kissed you like I did yesterday, and had never done…"

"NO, OF COURSE NOT!" she yelled, her body shaking with insult and fury. "No one would have done that! You're a slimeball, you're mean! It was dirty, horrible, disgusting…"

Candy hid her face in her hands and started to cry, moving away to the bed corner.

Neil did feel he was a monster, but he barely concealed his exultation.

He felt like a broke millionaire, who was just ready to wander around with a begging bowl, when suddenly someone tells him that his bankruptcy was an awful mistake, and now he's a millionaire again!

He had never even dreamed of Candy saving herself for him. Oh, how it hurt him when he saw a figure of a man in her windows! Oh, these horrible torments of jealousy! Candy and this vagabond! Candy and this actor!

Not his, but someone else's. Other men kissed her lips, other hands caressed the beloved body… And now, this delightful confession – she is pure! And he scared her!

Of course he loved her the way she was, anyway. He consoled himself with the thought that he might not be the first one, but he would be the last one. With him, she would forget everyone she had had before him… These thoughts were tormenting, but he accepted them, agreed to them, gnashing his teeth. The main thing was to conquer the soul, not the body. And there it is, a coveted prize! It was a gift from the heaven, it was… It was a miracle.

Yes, a miracle indeed that William hadn't touched her, hadn't slipped off the flower that had already blossomed and was within his grasp.

Great thing to know that this actor was far away and had no chance of destroying her innocence, either.

He will do it, he – Neil Legan. Yes, she will be only his. His forever.

But now he has to act differently. He mustn't scare her even more.

"Candy, I'm sorry," Neil got on his knees beside the bed and took the girl's hand that she was hiding her face in. She pulled it out, but the man managed to kiss it gently. "Forgive me, I'm a beast. It will never happen again. I'm sorry, I'm terribly sorry."

"And I'm sorry… for going out with you…" Candy was crying. "Go… go away! I hate you!"

"There really is no forgiveness for me," Legan caught the beloved girl's hand and kissed it once again. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I swear."

"Go away."

"I'll come tomorrow. Now you should get some sleep. And meanwhile, I'll ask Granny Elroy if she's found out anything about Albert."

Yeah, that should work.

"You'll find out about mister Albert?" Candy took her hands away from her face.

"Yeah. Granny must've already found out everything she could. She'll get him back, you'll see. You know her."

A gleam of hope shone in the green eyes.

Neil was already approaching the door, when suddenly, as if he had remembered something, he returned to Candy.

"Listen, Candy. I'll tell you one important thing. And please, do as I say, okay?"

Legan spoke seriously, and miss White looked at him with surprise. He seemed confused by something, barely mincing his words.

"So, I know you're sick of all these upper-class rules and other rules, too. But please, promise you'll follow the only one rule. Never, never again stay alone with a man, without other people. Even if it' s a close person. Albert, Archie or even me. Okay?"

"That's nonsense!"

"Candy! Believe me, what happened between us is just a small part of what could have happened to you! Another man wouldn't have stopped, wouldn't have spared you."

He was saying strange things. But somehow, the concern in his voice alarmed Candy. He said she should beware even of her friends, how can it be possible?

But… What about Archie then? The fire in his eyes. And mister Albert! He kissed her, he was mad about her! What does it all mean?...

"Do you promise me, Candy?" Neil's voice reached her consciousness. "Even if it's me."

"I won't promise you anything!" Candy jerked up her nose. "But I'll be careful…" she added quietly.


	25. Chapter 25

…Candy stretched herself with delight. The sun tenderly warmed her cheeks, its beams trying to reach into the eyes. Miss White yawned and turned over.

After sleeping she felt much better. She recovered her strength,sat up in the bed and moved her arm a little. Almost doesn't hurt!

There was a knock at the door, and a nurse entered the room, carrying a trolley with breakfast.

"Morning! Are you feeling well?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you! You shouldn't have bothered…" Candy took her food. It was unusual to be in the role of a patient being nursed.

The nurse – her name was Martha – examined Candy's leg and smiled warmly.

"There you go, it's almost fine, you just needed some rest. And your boyfriend kicked up such a dust when he brought you here, that we even thought someone was dying!" she giggled.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Candy jerked up her head.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Martha blushed. "I only thought so because he was so concerned about you… I thought an ordinary friend can't be so distressed…"

"He's not my boyfriend!" miss White repeated and frowned. No way! He's always becoming her "boyfriend" through other people, without her consent! Scoundrel!

"Okay, I got it, I'm sorry, miss," Martha babbled and hasted to retreat.

"A boyfriend! You wish!" Candy attacked the food. She must go home today.

Why should she be in a relationship at all, or even get married? She has already been quite fed up with all this fuss around her. Why can't she just be friends with him as before? Everyone around her seems to have lost their minds… Okay, she is twenty-one now, and so what? Does it mean she can no longer be the nurse that she was at the age of 17? Does it mean she can't be a friend? Or Annie… If she marries Archie, does it mean Candy won't be able to visit them? Like she's got horns or a tail, or what?

There was another knock at the door, it opened, and there was… Neil, of course, and… Annie! Annie came to visit her!

"Annie!" screamed Candy, Annie rushed to her, and they hugged. Neil came up to the girls.

"I'll leave you alone," he smiled. "No news about Albert yet," he added in response to the question in Candy's eyes. "How's your leg?"

"Better, much better!" Candy said hastily. She wanted him to leave quicker.

"Excuse me," Neil uttered a set phrase and closed the door.

The girls waited for a while, and then Annie made a grimace.

"Finally we've got rid of him. Creepy guy!" she frowned.

"I'll say!" Candy affirmed readily, but at this point she felt some sort of twinge in her chest. She scorned Neil with her whole heart for his actions, but for some reason, when Annie called him creepy, something inside her started to revolt.

"I agreed to go with him to visit you," Annie continued. "But he always gave me the creeps. He's so unpleasant."

"Yep," miss White nodded. The feeling inside her kept on resisting even more, but she waved it aside.

"And what he did to Archie…" miss Brighton went on, as if there was nothing else to discuss. "What a mean wretch! I'll never forgive him that!"

The girls kept silence for a while.

"You know, he asked about your favourite flowers," said Annie.

"Why would he do that?" Candy became alert. But the feeling inside suddenly scratched nervously. Flowers! Her FAVOURITE flowers! He asked…

"How do I know what's on his mind," miss Brighton replied. "But nothing good, that's for sure."

She fell into a brown study.

"You know, Candy, I've always wondered how can one possibly love fellows like Terry or Neil… The scary ones. Ill-bred, impudent, self-assured… They've always scared me. They're no match for lovely Archie… And you've always been able to deal with them."

"How can you compare Terry and… Neil!" Candy got offended. "I don't want to talk about Terry, I…"

"Sorry! I shouldn't have said that…" Annie hugged her friend.

Miss White closed here yes. For some reason, she felt dirty. She shouldn't have said such things about a person, even if it's Neil, even if with her friend. She shouldn't have.

If she could take her words back, she would have done it. Neil loves her, and it's the only reason why she hates him now. It's something personal, not to be discussed with anybody.

"What if he has decided to propose to you again, can you imagine that?" Annie giggled.

Candy laughed, too, but it was fake.

"That's madness, he won't do it again! He knows that I will deny it!"

They laughed, but miss White felt heavy at heart. Why is she doing it? Why? She wouldn't have done it earlier…

…"Get well soon, my dear!" miss Brighton hugged her friend goodbye.

"I hope I'll be back home today!" smiled Candy.

"Great! Then we can meet altogether in a café, the three of us. Archie is already well now!"

Annie hid behind the door.

Everything was perfect until Neil entered the room. His face was grim.

Startled, Candy watched him looking out of the window, drumming his fingers on the window-sill, rearranging his neck handkerchief. What had happened to him?

"Tell me, is that true… that I… give you the creeps, when I'm around?" he asked all of a sudden.

Miss White raised her hand to her mouth.

"Neil, were you… were you eavesdropping?"

"Yes, I heard everything," his voice was strangely calm, and his glance seemed to stop.


	26. Chapter 26

Neil looked somewhat lost, and Candy realized she had been too hard on him. She shouldn't have said such words, even if he hadn't been eavesdropping. Even if he deserved it. After all, there were some good qualities inside of him, as in any person…

"Neil, I…" Candy tried to make an excuse, but Legan stopped her with a gesture.

"Don't say anything, Candy. I see your point now."

He saw her point, although it was too late. It was ruthless truth that he didn't want to know, hear, understand. He thought that everything Candy said to his face was part of a woman's coquetry, the ritual of attention. But today he heard the truth – Candy was serious, she meant it. She's not one of those people who say what they don't think, oh, no!

Neil had already decided not to see her again, he wanted to go away right now, but the fact that Candy was still in hospital, kind of in his care, madehim back-pedal. It was tormenting him.

Legan was looking outside, where the sunbeams were twinkling on the jets of a small fountain within the hospital's territory. The silence had become almost sinister.

Miss White dropped her head.

"Neil, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" the girl made another attempt to start the conversation, but Neil turned around abruptly.

"Candy, it's okay," he said in the tone that showed that nothing was quite okay. "Don't be sorry, you didn't step on my foot, after all. You spoke your mind, and I got it."

Candy realized he would never come to her again. Ever. She felt it. It was evident that Neil was thinking of a way to get rid of Candy right now, and it was true.

"So, you feel better, right?" he asked with a calm and cold voice.

"Yes, and I…"

"I'll pick you up in the evening and drive you home."

"Neil!"

He silently closed the door and walked away.

Candy put her head on a pillow and closed her eyes. Why was she so sad? She was finally able to get rid of him. She sort of won. Now he wouldn't haunt her, and she could live a happy life. Yet she felt miserable. Why?

Proposal, favourite flowers…

She would never see him again.

His fragrance and kisses. A penetrating glance of his dark eyes, filled with passion.

Never again.

Wasn't that what she'd wanted?

…The girl spent the whole day lying on the bed, feeling sick, although her leg and arm almost did not hurt.

In the afternoon, the nurse brought her dinner, and Candy barely managed it – she had no appetite. When Martha asked her, Candy referred to a headache and took aspirin in the hope of falling asleep to forget about everything, but the sleep wouldn't come.

Soon it would be evening, and Neil would come to drive her home. And that would be it.

The dragging feeling in her stomach grew stronger, as if something bad was going to happen. What should she do?

Candy dressed herself and sat on the bed with her head down. What's wrong with her? What was she going to do?

There was a knock at the door, and he came in. Neil. Her heart started beating fast, as if out of startle… or anticipation?

"Neil, I…"

"Let's go," his voice was cold and strange, his face impenetrable.

She walked past him, he let her through a door. She wanted to cry.

Neil opened the car's door, and Candy got in. Legan tried not to look at her. He stepped down, and the car dashed along the road.

"Neil, you know…"

He kept silent.

The ride to her place seemed like a couple of seconds as she was mincing the words along the way. Neil bent over her to open the door, and the girl felt his warm body near her and smelled his fragrance.

He waited. Candy got out of the car.

And then Neil left.

Miss White was standing in the street, following the red car with her eyes and grasping her cloak in the trembling hands.


	27. Chapter 27

Neil didn't come neither on the next day, nor on the second day, although it was weekend.

His flowers had withered, but Candy didn't throw the bouquet out. Instead, she dried up the maroon heads and put them in the books.

The girl felt strange emptiness and absolutely no joy about getting rid of Neil.

Candy opened the wardrobe and drew out a handkerchief with "Daniel" embroidered on it.

"I really want you to have something from me... so that every time you take it, you could remember me," he said then. He kept her shawl that she bandaged his hand with.

Neil wasn't so bad. There was something good and kind in him.

Is he never going to come again? That's impossible!

Candy stroked the word "Daniel". Yes, he has a beautiful name.

When he comes, she will apologize.

But a new business week started, and nothing changed. Neil didn't come on Monday, on Tuesday or on Wednesday. On Thursday, miss White burst into tears for the first time during her night watch, when the phone never rang personally for her.

What is she going to do?

The nurses noticed that her mood had changed, and she hardly assured them that everything was okay. She didn't want to talk to anyone about this. It was her own business.

On Friday, Candy cried before work and during her lunchtime, sitting on the same bench where they had recently sat together.

On Saturday, she will go to his place and apologize. Fool, silly fool!

But on Saturday morning, she got a letter. She looked at the envelope with exultation, but it was from mister Albert.

She had forgotten about him. Completely. Strange.

Tormented by remorse, miss White tore up the envelope and read:

 _Dear Candy,_

 _I'm sorry that I scared you, that I disappeared without warning you. I think it will be best for everyone. I'm at the place where I used to live before, I'm helping to cure animals. I like it here, in the nature, among common people. Back there, in Chicago, you were the only one to keep me. I already wrote to Aunt Elroy that I would not change my mind and would not go back to America forever. This freedom and these rules are repugnant to me. I won't be different now. Don't be sad, and always smile, Candy. It's not your fault, at all. I will definitely come again, maybe even soon. But I belong here._

 _Yours,_

 _Albert_

Candy sighed. Mister Albert loved her, but having found no love in return, he left. Candy could not do anything about it… Why is life such a complicated thing?

She sat with the letter in her hand, not knowing what to write back. A standard reply? Ask him to come back? What for? Everything won't be the same anyway, he doesn't want that. And she can't do the way he wants…

Candy put the letter on a table and started to dress. She's going to visit the Legans and try to speak to Neil.

The mere thought scared her, there were so many unpleasant people – Eliza, their mother… Aunt Elroy, who had told her off the last time.

But still she couldn't bear this silence any longer.

Candy dressed up and combed her hair back. He can't kick her out. He won't dare!

…There was the Legan residence. A huge mansion, the gates… She felt so tiny, so miniscule, so humble… The scale suppressed her.

Miss White took a deep breath and walked along the pathway towards the house. He can't just drive her away, can he?

The feeling living in Candy's stomach stirred, her palms began to sweat, and her heart was beating like crazy. Candy was repeating the apology speech in her mind, not to forget it. Yes… she… is sorry. She doesn't think so at all!

The girl walked up the entrance stairs in front of the door and asked a servant:

"Excuse me… Is mister Legan home?"

"Mister Legan?"

"Yes – Daniel. I need to talk to him."

"He has left, miss."

Left… but where?

"Today is his birthday, and he has gone to a party."

"Thank you…"

Candy went slowly down the pathway. Birthday, today! What a surprise, and she didn't even know about it. She didn't know anything about him.

What does he like? What is his favourite colour?

All they did was argue and fight.

Gone to a party… There must be pretty girls there. The elegant and polite ones.

They are going to congratulate him…

For the umpteenth time, miss White burst out crying right in the carriage.


	28. Chapter 28

Candy was lying on her bed, crying. She ruined everything! Yes, Neil scared her, but then he apologized and was nice to her the whole evening when he brought her to hospital. And then he invited Annie to visit her. And she…

She was talking about him behind his back, she stung his pride. He'll never forgive her.

Candy began to sob again, but there was a knock at the door.

"Coming!" she shouted happily and rushed to the bathroom to wipe her eyes. They were still red and swollen, but when miss White opened the door, she was smiling gladly.

"Candy!"

It was Annie and Archie.

Miss Brighton hugged her, but then looked closer into her friend's face and exclaimed in alarm:

"Have you been crying?"

"What happened?" worried Archie.

"That's because of mister Albert, right?" Annie asked compassionately, and Candy broke into tears with renewed force, quivering in her friend's arms.

Archie went to the room and took the letter. From Albert, indeed.

"Candy, come on, don't be so sad, don't cry! He'll come back, you'll see! Let's go have some coffee in a café, come on!" the friends were trying to console the girl.

Miss White washed her face under Annie's supervision and changed her clothes.

"There you go! Almost calmed down," Annie smiled.

…They were sitting in a café, and Candy cheered up. Archie amused her, and Annie was very kind and attentive.

"And tomorrow there's gonna be a party to celebrate Aunt Elroy's birthday! You're invited, too," Archie winked. "I told Aunt Elroy that if you don't come, we won't show up either. And she gave in!"

Candy wanted to deny the invitation, especially received by blackmailing the old lady, when suddenly she realized Neil would be there, too.

"Oh, thank you, Archie!" Candy touched his hand to express her gratitude. "Thank you so much!"

Annie and Archie exchanged glances – their friend was too excited about going to the old lady, which had never been typical of her.

"And what about Eliza and Neil… Are they gonna be there?" Candy asked casually.

"Eliza won't, she's always meeting some boyfriend of hers," Cornwell made a grimace. "I'm sorry for that poor fellow who messes up with her. It's odd she's gonna miss Aunt Elroy's party, but that's good for us, right?" he winked. "And this damned Legan will surely come… And I'll give him hell!"

"Archie!" Annie peacefully put her hand on her darling's shoulder.

Candy was drinking tea, her fingers shivering a little.

"You'd better be careful with him, Candy," Archie warned her. "He's very stubborn. If he has decided to do something, he will. Don't underestimate his haunting."

Miss White put her cup on the table. He _is_ very stubborn, that's true. If he has decided to do something, he will. And if has decided NOT to do something – he won't! He was determined to leave her alone and stop their communication!

The green eyes filled with tears. What has she done? And why?

"Candy, don't be afraid," Archie leaned towards her. "We won't let this scumbag even talk to you. If he comes close to you, he'll regret it!"

"Archie, I… I'll handle it myself. Maybe he won't even come up to me…"

"Oh, Candy, unfortunately, he will!" Annie broke in. "He's only waiting for that. When I was in a car with him, all he talked about was you."

A few tears dropped on the table.

"Candy! I'll tell Aunt Elroy not to invite him, to call off her invitation! She herself didn't want to see him after he had beaten me up. You won't see him, I promise!"

"NO!" Candy sprang up so excitedly that everyone stopped talking. "No, there's no need for that. Don't do anything, please!"

Her lips were trembling, and her eyes full of tears. But despite that, she was quite aggressive.

"Try to tell him something, just try! And you'll be no friends of mine!"

"What is wrong with you?!"

"Candy, what happened? Candy!"

Miss White sobbed and ran out of the café.

Annie and Archie drank up their tea in silence.


	29. Chapter 29

Candy walked into her apartment and shook her purse out of her handbag. Then she checked out the drawer for the remnants of her salary.

She counted it. Chicken feed! The girl sighed and scratched her head. That might not be enough for a good present.

An eternal feeling of contradiction to other people boiled up in her.

"Scumbag"! What do they know about him? Of course, they knew him in childhood and in his adolescence. But do they know him now, even if _she_ doesn't?

He cuddled her so gently when he took her in his arms… The warmth of his body and the scent of his cologne…

What is she thinking about?!

And his face was also different at times. Sometimes he was rude and scared her, and sometimes he smiled, and she felt so light and happy…

The last time they talked he was worried about her. If only they could talk in a normal manner, if only she could open a new page in her life instead of keeping past-time resentments, everything would be completely different!

He said: "Let's drink to the Future. The Future, in which there is no place for disappointments of the Past!" But she would hold on to the past, to the tears that had long been forgotten, instead of going into the Future with a smile…

Miss White recounted the money. Should be enough for a neckerchief.

Anyway, why is everyone poaching on her preserves? Who to talk to and how to talk is only her business!

The girl stoutly threw a handbag over her shoulder and set off for a shop.

…She would never have thought that neckerchiefs could be so expensive! Just a piece of cloth, but the price!

Candy picked a dark-raspberry one with wide black stripes. Pressing the present to her chest, miss White was walking home. He wears crimson, purple, sky blue and azure neckerchiefs… this one should fit! Probably…

…Maybe fate, maybe miss White's prayers had been heard or maybe Aunt Elroy had simply sent all the personae non gratae farther away from her, but at the festive table Candy and Neil Legan were sitting next to each other.

The old lady seated her favourite Archie next to herself, and his girlfriend, too, whom she did not approve of due to her origins. But promise is promise – she had given her word to her beloved grandson that she would not oppose the intentions of his heart.

At first, Candy was glad it all happened that way, but then it turned out that everything was much worse than she had expected.

Neil smiled to her politely, passed snacks and salads to her, but she felt he was doing it with an effort, just to "observe the decencies". With all her being she could feel his coldness and hostility.

The girl was sitting upset, staring at her plate. He is very stubborn and arrogant… No, he won't forgive her. Ever.

Candy sighed, trying to hold her tears. She glanced at a small handbag lying on her knees. She shouldn't have taken the present. Everything was in vain…

Neil gaily laughed at a joke of some girl sitting on the right, and Candy shuddered. He doesn't even pay attention to her. Like she is nothing.

She must try. The girl quietly touched Legan's hand and felt him start.

"Excuse me," said Neil to his neighbor, smiled nicely and took a salad. "More salad?" he turned to Candy with a big smile on a handsome face, but when he leaned towards her, he hissed:

"What do you want?"

Candy blinked at him resentfully, but still constrained herself to say:

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry!"

Neil put some salad on her plate.

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

He turned back, and miss White stared at her plate again. Nothing to be sorry for, fat chance! She didn't say it the way she wanted to.

She must try once again.

Candy touched Neil's hand again, trying to draw his attention, but he pretended he did not notice it.

"Would you be so kind as to pass me that wonderful piece of cheese, mister Legan?" Candy said loudly. With a bit of satisfaction, she saw him flush angrily, but then he turned to her with such a smile that sent chill up her spine.

"Oh, yes, with great pleasure!"

Putting the cheese on her plate, he painfully squeezed her arm with his free hand.

"What are you doing? Wanna make a scene in front of Aunt Elroy?"

"Neil, I… I didn't want to say those words. I didn't mean it. Neil, that hurts!"

He released her arm and started to chew gravely.

Candy stared at her plate again. He doesn't believe her… Now he is going to wait for some time until it's polite enough to leave, and will leave. What has she done?

Two tears dropped on the plate with the salad. Another one.

"Listen, stop it," she heard a familiar whisper over her ear. "You're making a fool of yourself."

She's crying and all he's thinking about is the reaction of the members of his family!

Two more teardrops ran down her cheek.

"What? Salt? Of course!"

Neil leaned closer towards her, generously sprinkling her plate with salt.

"Now I'm gonna go out, and you follow me, but not all at once, wait for five minutes. In the garden, to the left from the columns."

Candy nodded and dried her eyes.


	30. Chapter 30

…The girl went out to the garden and came up to Legan, who was ripping off the petals of a pink bush. Having heard her footsteps, he turned around abruptly.

"What the hell was that?!" he attacked miss White. "Why on Earth would you cry at Nan Elroy's guest night? What if someone saw it? You're making a fool of yourself, and of me as well!"

"I don't care about it!"

"Oh, you don't care, ha-ha! But I do, you've put me in the pillory for so many times that I don't want to be a local clown anymore! So what else do you want from me?"

Candy squeezed her handbag.

"I… I wanted to apologize. I don't mean it… It's not what I think."

Neil raised an eyebrow and narrowed his lids.

"You don't mean it anymore… How long has it been, a week, huh? Isn't that too fast?"

Candy dropped her head.

"You're laughing at me. You're being rude to me. You always have," she said quietly. For some reason, miss White couldn't get thoroughly angry. She felt sad and heavy at heart.

"Rude? To you? When, Candy? But please, just don't recall things that happened ages ago. So I'm listening. When was I being rude, and why? Because I wanted to see you? Or maybe because I brought you to hospital after you ran to the quay to see another man? And what do you want from me now?"

"I… I want you to forgive me…"

"I told you, I have nothing to forgive you for. And please, stop crying, it drives me mad!" Neil clenched his fists. "Like any other man, I'm afraid of women's tears and I hate them, and you take advantage of it. Yet you have absolutely no reason to weep!"

They stood in silence, and Candy turned her back on Neil. The wind tossed her curly hair, and the girl felt completely unhappy.

"I know what you want from me," Neil uttered quietly. "You want me not to destroy your own little world where everyone loves and obeys you. The world of tame men. You shudder with disgust when I'm around, I know that, you know that and your friend knows that. But still, we must be nice to each other, I must not avoid you, because you don't like it! So we all must be like a big friendly family, where you will rule like a queen. And should someone try to keep his pride or simply escape this throng, like this Albert – you'll attack him with your tears, pleas, rebukes, and eventually the poor guy will come back to this circle of "friends". No, that's not for me! I want your love, or I don't want your company at all. Feast or famine! I won't become another friend of yours. I won't let you laugh at me behind my back with your girlfriends, oh no!"

The girl turned around impulsively and grasped his arm, stopping his outburst.

"That's not true! I swear, it's not! I'm crying, because… Because you don't love me anymore…"

"And why do you care whether I love you or not? Good riddance to another fool."

"No! You're… you're not a fool. I am. I said what I didn't want to say…"

He kept quiet, afraid to believe her words. But that's impossible! Impossible…

"And what did you want to say?"

Candy lowered her eyes.

"I wanted to… I… I can't say it."

"Why not?" Neil took her by the shoulders and felt her shiver.

"I'm nervous."

Legan smiled and hugged the girl. Her hands also closed around his waist. She burrowed her face into his shoulder, making the thin fabric of an expensive jacket wet.

Neil kissed her ringlets that smelled like sun.

"Nervous?" he whispered quietly.

"Yes…"

Neil held Candy closer, and she felt his heart pounding underneath a silken shirt.

"Your heart is beating so fast," she got surprised.

"That's because you are here."

"My heart is beating fast, too," the girl stepped back, took the man's hand and wanted to put it to her breast.

"Oh, no, no," Neil gently removed her hand. "I'll take your word for it."

That's right, don't be tempted yet. God knows you're not made of iron.

Legan took Candy's hand.

"Let's go 'till they miss us."

If they stay alone, he will kiss her, and then... They've got to go!

"Yes, but there's one more thing…"

"What?"

"A present."

Neil raised an eyebrow.

"What present?"

Candy unzipped her handbag and drew out a parcel.

"A birthday present."

His brown eyes widened in surprise as he unwrapped the paper.

"A present? To me?"

A black-striped raspberry neckerchief showed itself. Neil's eyes blazed with joy.

"You chose it? For me?"

"Yes."

Neil gave Candy her present.

"Will you tie it up?"

An expensive silken neckerchief dropped to the ground, replaced by a cheaper one.

Neil was barely breathing as Candy's gentle arms twined around his neck to tie the knot with some effort. He had never been so tormented by desire.

But he will do things properly. Once they get married, he will give vent to his passion.

And until then…

"Let's go," Neil offered Candy his hand. They went towards the mansion…


	31. Chapter 31

The next week Candy was treading on air. The work that she loved so much, but which demanded a lot of moral courage, faded into insignificance – the girl was always waiting for the evening.

During her lunchtime, she received sweet notes, where Neil called her the most tender nicknames and wrote that he was looking forward to the moment to meet again.

They saw each other every day – they went to restaurants a couple of times, danced, watched a movie in the cinema, and it was Candy's first time there. In a nutshell, they had a nice time.

Neil was absolutely different from what he had been before – he was gallant, polite… in fact, it was for the first time that he was acting like a gentleman with Candy.

Daniel was being too polite, actually, the girl thought, too delicate – he tried not to touch her for no reason and never kissed her again, as if he were afraid of something.

Miss White caught herself feeling sad, when in the evenings, after standing for a long time at her door, holding hands, Daniel would just loose his fingers, say good-bye and go away, without even trying to hug or kiss her.

Candy now wanted to hug Neil herself every time they met or parted, but she wasn't bold enough to be so pushy, because a lady shouldn't behave like that with a man.

But anyway, those days were very romantic.

Mister Albert's letter never got a response. Late at night, Candy didn't have any more strength or thoughts so write it, in the morning there was work, and in the evening – a date. "I'll write it tomorrow!" she kept promising to herself, but the more she put it away, the less she wanted to do it… Her conscience was uneasy, but it couldn't break through the mist of reverie and excitement that surrounded the girl.

Candy's flat was chock-a-block with mind-boggling bouquets, emitting various and sometimes incompatible odors, and the sofa was occupied by a giant teddy-bear.

The other presents were too expensive to be accepted.

Apparently, Neil was following the principle "the more the better", and Candy actually started to like it. Doesn't she like these roses? Or these lilies? These tuberoses? These marzipan candies (delicious, by the way)? These poems, although not so very smooth?

And the bear was also very nice.

In turn, the girl gave Daniel her smile and her good mood, which he had hardly ever gotten from her. As every other selfless soul, Candy liked more to give rather than to get presents, and although her courtesies were way cheaper and simpler, they still brought a lot of joy to the addressee.

She spent the rest of her salary on cufflinks, but how happy Neil was! And Candy was always so curious watching his face every time he unwrapped the parcel!

Candy borrowed some money to buy another pair of ties and neckerchiefs. Neil put them on right away, and it was another reason for Candy to be proud of herself.

Miss White borrowed even more money and bought a book with car illustrations. Yep, this book was totally worth saving money on her lunches for the next weeks!

Anyway, those days, and especially evenings, were very romantic!

The pair did not see anything around them, completely absorbed by each other. They did not understand that their behavior started to be quite obvious.

Everyone noticed that they were in love… And that they had abandoned everything that could anyhow distract them from each other.

Not everyone was fine about that…


	32. Chapter 32

Archibald Cornwell was driving his car along Chicago streets. All of a sudden, he was sort of stricken, he gasped, shuddered, his heart skipped a beat to start pounding with renewed force.

It usually happens when you see something that you cannot imagine even in the worst nightmares, the reality crumbles, it seems impossible, wrong, but still you can't do anything about it.

Yes, it was her – he could recognize a shock of her golden ringlets in a thousand. She was not alone – there was a man walking languidly by her side, husbandly keeping his arm around her shoulder.

Archie stopped the car and followed the pair, hiding in the crowd and sometimes stopping behind the street lamps.

He had no time to think why he needed all this, no time to wonder why he got so scared seeing her with another man. He had no time to think of anything. He just followed them.

Her companion seemed very familiar, even from the back – his walk, his hair and even his clothes were familiar to Cornwell, but this guess was so horrible and so silly that he just couldn't even think of it without shivering.

The girl's hand twitched and humbly touched the rival's waist. Sharp pain stabbed Archie's heart, and the world went dark before his eyes.

And here's the National Park of Chicago…

The pair walked along the pathways and came up to a beautiful lake. The sunlight shone on the water surface, and young Cornwell hunkered behind a tree.

The lovebirds were now standing in profile, and Archibald could see her tender features – a snub nose, a shock of curly hair and long eyelashes. He could see his face, too – a handsome profile of a highborn man, which was only ruined by a cynic downturned mouth and half-closed eyelids, making his face look arrogant.

Daniel Legan!

He said something to Candy, and she laughed. And when she laughs, she looks so…

And then their faces moved closer to each other, and they kissed. Archie made himself watch till the end. Then he stepped away quietly, left the park and ran to his car.

He needn't have hidden, anyway. They saw no one else but each other.

Cornwell got in the car and punched the steering wheel with all his might.

That's impossible! No!

She had turned him down a long time ago, and he accepted it. But somewhere deep inside, he still dreamed of her, but when he didn't, he imagined his beloved person with a decent man, a worthy one… Worthy of _her_.

It was some kind of a man's ideal, to whom, with the utmost reluctance, he could confide her, knowing that this man would be better than Archie by any definition.

But… of all the men that had paid court to her, she had chosen the most unworthy, the most disgusting, the most…

Candy and this… creature! He's not even a man – he's a nonentity, a toad, a sissy, a wretch and a coward! And she is with him!

It was so horrible that he just couldn't figure it all out.

He kisses her, this sleazeball, he hugs her, he walks beside her… He's not worth even her spit, even the dirt under her feet…

If there were any justice in the world, it wouldn't have happened, but he saw it, he saw it with his own eyes!

But how? How did he manage to conquer her heart? So Archie did have a reason to worry, when Candy blew up back then, in a café, when he promised her not to let this scoundrel get close to her! So, there was something between them already…

But how? How? Did he buy her favor or what? Is he blackmailing her? If he does, then how?

What made Candy, _his_ Candy, the one he had known for years, kiss this toad and at the same time smile so happily?

He had to find it out as soon as possible…

Cornwell went to her place. He parked the car in the next street and got out.

Hiding in the corners of the buildings like a spy, Archie approached the coveted house.

He was waiting in the darkness of the opposite house and finally saw them.

A brake chatter – this dumbass could never drive well – and they got out.

They're holding each other's hands!

The toad's going away, and Candy is standing at the door, waving to him. Then she fades in the darkness of the house…

Archibald waited for some time, and then followed her into the building.


	33. Chapter 33

Archie was leaping upstairs, his heart pounding so fast that he was barely breathing.

Of course he could stop this Legan, but the mere thought that the latter would grin condescendingly, holding Candy in his hands, while Archie would just be standing in front of them… Oh no, it was unbearable. He would deal with him later.

Cornwell was standing at the door, not daring to knock. How is that possible?... He's kicked this rat's ass for so many times, and each time the rat would crawl away whining, for so many times he's… Oh, whatever! Things have changed, now Legan is the winner, he is with her! With… her!

Now he's gonna boast with his trophy, his supremacy… He's gonna go everywhere with her, like her man, and Archie will just sit with him at the same table, pretending to be happy for them. How can that be? What filthy schemes did he use to win her favor? What sinister insinuations? What plots and threats?

…There was a knock at the door, and Candy asked:

"Who's there?"

"It's me."

"Archie!" Candy flung the door open, and the man came in.

Cornwell closed the door and walked deeper into her flat. Miss White didn't look into his eyes and didn't notice anything strange. But Archie's brown eyes were burning with a wild flame – the flame of jealousy.

When the door closed, the young people were left… alone.

Archibald looked around carefully, and all the words that he had been repeating in his mind had flown away.

"Did… did he buy you all these?" the man squeezed out of himself with effort.

Candy looked up, and suddenly got scared.

"These… what? Who… bought?" she started mumbling.

Cornwell was breathing heavily and cast an unseeing look around the room.

"You know who…" he uttered.

"That's my own business," Candy jerked up her nose.

"Your own business?!" Archie screamed and, as if some string in his soul had broken, started wrecking the room. He threw the bear off the sofa and broke the vases with Neil's flowers.

"Did he buy you with all this, Candy? Did he buy you with this… frippery?"

"Archie, please, don't do it, don't touch anything!" the girl yelled frightfully, trying to hold rampageous Cornwell down. But despite his elegance and outer tenderness, he was quite strong, and when he jerked his arm trying to shake Candy's grip off, she bounced back like a doll.

"Archie!" miss White put her trembling hands to her face and watched his madness without saying anything else. He was no longer a friend – he was a jealousy-stricken man, and she was afraid of him.

Cornwell stopped for a while, cast a blurred look around the annihilated room; his hair, always neatly combed, were now tousled and wild, his mouth was skewed, and his eyes were blazing with unnatural fire. He looked at Candy.

"What? Why are you looking at me like this? You think I'm disgusting?" he came closer, and the girl backed away by instinct. "You think I'm disgusting, and he's not?!"

Archibald grasped the frightened girl by the shoulders and shook her.

"I'm disgusting, and he's not?! Tell me!"

There was a silence, interrupted only by Candy's gulpy sobbing and Archie's heavy breathing.

"DAMN IT!" he screamed again and scurried about the room like a wounded beast. "Don't you understand he has… girlfriends like you all around Chicago? He's gonna make a slut of you, if he hasn't yet!"

Candy began to retreat to the front door, but Cornwell stood in her way. Now he spoke in a low voice, almost whispering, and tears glimmered in his eyes:

"Don't you… don't you really understand that he gives such… presents to everyone? Every one of his bitch. He'll play with you and throw you out, like a thing, like an old toy…"

"He's not like this! You don't know him!"

"Oh, there you go! Now you're defending him!" croaked Archibald, hanging over the girl. "Trust me, I know him too well! Unluckily, he's my relative, and I've watched his behavior quite often… What has he done to gain your trust?"

Miss White didn't answer.

"Maybe he did something very noble? Repented his sins? What has he done, what?"

Again, silence.

"Do you love him, Candy?" the man asked the question he was most afraid of.

"I… don't know yet… We're just having a good time…" the girl responded almost against her will and looked away.

"A good time, huh?" Archie breathed out and started to walk around the room. "Dammit!" he hit the wall with his fist. "A good time!"

"Archie… Stop it!" Candy pulled herself together. "You… you'd better leave. If you… if you leave now, I will forget everything you've just said."

She looked at Cornwell expectantly. But he only got gloomier and ostentatiously sat down on a chair.

"Okay, I see your point. You want to get rid of me, because he's going to come right now. Alright, I'll wait. I'll give him a warm welcome."

No matter how hard the girl asked and begged him to leave, he wouldn't. He didn't believe that Candy was waiting for Annie to come, not Neil.


	34. Chapter 34

A heavy silence filled the room, Candy had given up her attempts to bring her friend to his senses, and he wouldn't let her clean up the mess to make the flat look decent.

Archie was not ashamed of what he had done and said at all. He was standing at the front door with grim determination on his face and his arms folded on his chest.

There was a quiet knock at the door, and young Cornwell snarled:

"The guy's playing nice! Okay, welcome!"

He pushed the door open and suddenly started back. It was… Annie.

It was hard to say which one of them was more surprised. Miss Brighton's blue eyes got large and glanced perplexedly at Archie's reddened face, the mess in the corridor and Candy, hiding behind Cornwell's back with downcast eyes.

"Oh, um… Archie…" Annie was the first one to find words. "I didn't expect to see you… Here."

She turned around and wanted to leave, but Archibald woke out of stupefaction.

"Annie! Annie, wait! Can you imagine? Candy is waiting… for Neil!"

The girl turned around, and her dark hair softly fell onto her back.

"Waiting for… Neil?" she repeated. "Did she ask you to protect her from his offence?"

"God, no!" the young man angrily tossed his head. "She is waiting for him, she is glad when he comes, she loves him! Can you imagine that?!"

Annie said nothing for a while, and Candy was silent too, as though they were speaking of someone else.

Then miss Brighton replied dryly:

"Well, that's her own private life, isn't it? Or do you care much?" she threw at him angrily and ran downstairs.

The hell with it! She hates him! Hates! She almost agreed to the second engagement… Fool! Idiot!

Annie was nearly running along the streets and alleys, letting forth a stream of oaths that the young lady shouldn't even have known about.

And what about Candy, her friend? Was she a friend?

Screw it!

God damn it all!

All the close ones had betrayed her and felt quite okay about it. Quiet, meek, handy Annie! Handy!

She won't say anything, won't get angry, won't hurt anyone… She won't cause inconvenience to anyone…

They can do whatever they want to her.

The girl recovered breath and was now walking, kicking a small stone with a toecap of an elegant shoe.

Whatever happens, she won't marry Archie. It's over now!

A car horned, and miss Brighton almost jumped out of surprise.

"Need a ride?" she heard an unpleasant voice, slowly dragging the words.

"Yes, thanks," she got into Neil Legan's car and looked at his profile.

What has Candy found in him? He's surely attractive, as everyone in his family, but this chicken heart, this impudence, this arrogant behavior…

"You love Candy, don't you?" the girl asked all of a sudden.

Legan steadily nodded.

"Yes, with all my heart. Why?"

"I wish Archie could say the same about me," miss Brighton blurted out unintentionally.

He snickered and turned to her. His arrogant face showed empathy.

"So make him jealous! Tickle his nerves! Try hanging out with some loser, maybe not even an attractive one, but ugly as hell! My cousin's gonna be so mad!"

"But that's wrong," Annie blinked in surprise. "To make someone jealous is mean, and to use another person…"

"Oh, please!" Neil rolled up his eyes, as though she was saying banal and dull things. "He's being a jerk, and you've got to teach him a lesson. As for using people… Well, you're not gonna promise that loser to marry him, are you? Just take his flowers and have a walk with him for a while, that's it."

Miss Brighton kept silent. It seemed to her as if the devil-tempter was whispering a decision to her. A wrong, bad decision… But the one that would work.

"Did you make Candy jealous?" she asked him finally.

"Well, yeah, a couple of times. It just proved her feelings for me," Neil smiled jauntily, and there was something in his smile that troubled Annie.

"But you're just playing with her! How can you say that you love her?" miss White resented, and Legan yanked on the brake.

He turned to her abruptly, his dark eyes seemed to be bright with anger.

"I love her, you got it?Don't try to estimate my love, that's none of your business, okay?"

"Okay," Annie mumbled quietly and went out of the car.

What a malicious scoundrel! But his advice… should she try it?


	35. Chapter 35

When Annie ran away, Archie and Candy were still standing for some time without uttering a word. The man grew weak after his fiancé's departure, his shoulders sagged. Miss White was fingering her dress.

"I guess I'll go," Archibald said quietly and almost obediently; the man was so different from what he had just been. "I'm sorry," he whispered while closing the door.

Candy rushed to the door and locked it.

She's got to go to the Pony Home. Right now.

The Pony Home was a place of tranquility, her home… The girl picked up the scattered flowers, put them in other containers and cleared up the shards. The bear resumed its seat.

Tomorrow she's going to visit Doctor Leonard and ask for a week off. After Annie got engaged, everything has been moving so rapidly that she can't just catch up with it. She's got to calm down and think.

Having had dinner, miss White set an alarm-clock and went to bed.

…"So,you want to take a week off, right, miss White?" Doctor Leonard was looking so strictly at her sheet of paper, as if something awful had been written there.

"Yes!" Candy was standing beside the head doctor's table to attention, like a soldier before the general.

"I see, I see," the doctor murmured, and the nurse started to worry. What was wrong? She hadn't taken a vacation for the whole year and had often stayed overtime. Although, it was all before this vortex following Annie's failed engagement happened…

Finally, Leonard looked up at the girl gravely.

"Candice. You know that I can't refuse your application officially – you haven't had a vacation for a long time. Of course, I will give you this week off. But I must tell you, I'm very concerned about your discipline and the way you perform your duties…"

"But…" Candy opened her mouth, but the head doctor stopped her with a gesture.

"I know you're trying hard. Have been, at least. But the nurse's work is hard, and it should be perfect, either years ago, right now or years later. You didn't use to spare yourself. But now… You have become absent-minded and reckless… You're always, always being somewhere up in the clouds. Being in love is great, but these little notes, these phone-calls while you're on duty, this constant languishing state may lead to a disaster! And I can't risk my patients."

"Sir, I…"

"Please, I haven't finished. The next thing… Again, I repeat: I highly disapprove of your behavior in terms of discipline. How could you borrow so much money from other nurses, taking advantage of the fact that they couldn't refuse you, as a friend and as a colleague? What were you thinking of?"

The girl did not answer, fully understanding that Doctor Leonard's reprimands were more than fair.

"So, I give you a week off. Have some rest, settle your personal affairs. But in a week, I want to have Nurse Candice White on the staff, not just Candice White. I also suggest that you pay off your debts before you go on vacation."

"Of course, sir… I got it. Thank you, I…"

"And the last thing. When you get married, are you going to keep working? I should know it in advance."

"Married? Me?"

"Of course you, not me! I suppose you are going to get married soon and delight me with the news of your retirement. I hear your admirer is a rich person."

"No… Of course, not! I haven't thought about marriage yet, so…"

The head doctor tiredly closed his eyes.

"Spare me the details, please. I only want to know if you're going to keep working at our hospital, or should I start seeking replacement? And, ideally, you should have informed me of the changes in your life before I asked you myself. I reckon you should understand that you can't do whatever you want and not inform anybody, when the health and the lives of other people depend on your work!"

"Of course I'll keep working!" Candy shook her chin.

"Have you discussed it with him?"

"No, but…"

"Then do it. Discuss your plans during this week. I don't need lip service. You're free to go."

Miss White went out of the office, holding her application. She was overwhelmed by mixed emotions.

She really did forget about everything but her crush on Neil. It was all her fault.

Married! Why would everyone keep talking about this? On the other hand… If their relationship develops and eventually comes to this point, the thing that has always seemed so obvious – her work as a nurse – could be jeopardized!

And where can she get money to pay off her debts? Where?


	36. Chapter 36

Candy was sitting on a bench holding a sheet of paper, so absorbed by her gloomy thoughts that she didn't notice it was already time for lunch.

The car's wheels rustled, and the girl lifted her head.

Neil! He shouldn't know anything. Out of habit, the girl stroked her face, as if removing the anxiety and summoning a peaceful smile.

He was walking towards her, so handsome, self-confident and elegant. Candy smiled wider.

"Hello!"

Neil sat down beside her, and his presence made Candy feel dizzy.

"Hey, what happened?" the man asked right off the bat, and Candy got confused.

"What? No, nothing, everything's good…" she murmured, trying to give him a smile with her trembling lips under his gaze.

How did he figure it out?

Neil took the sheet from her hands.

"Taking a vacation?"

"Yeah, for a week. I want to visit Pony's Home."

"I'll give you a ride."

"No, there's no need, I…"

Neil laughed, patting her on her hair, like a little girl.

"Yeah, I know it's way more romantic to go on your own, catching pony-carts and wagons, but just for once, have some comfort."

Miss White smiled back at him.

"Thanks, but if it bothers you…"

"It doesn't. So what happened?"

He held her by the shoulders, and she wanted so much to tell him everything, complain and, after all, share her problems with him. But what was wrong with her? She had never behaved like this. She had never been weak.

"Nothing happened."

"Stop lying to me!"

Her will got weaker under his unwinking gaze.

"You imagined it! I'm just tired and want to go on a vacation, that's it!"

"How much do you need?" he asked simply.

"Need what?" Candy fluttered her eyelashes.

"Well, money."

"How do you know…" the girl got surprised, but then, having seen his understanding look, realized he just took a random shot, and she had given herself away. Totally.

"Neil, I'm not taking money from you, no way! Don't even think of it!" she protected heartedly. "I'll make it on my own. I want to make it on my own. I don't want to be paid for."

The girl felt Neil wasn't listening to her and almost cried at him.

"I really, really don't need anything! I… I won't talk to you, I'll take offense if you offer me money! It's humiliating! I…"

"What's so wrong if I give some money to my lovely girlfriend?"

He said it like it was nothing, a trifle… Miss White took a deep breath.

"I want… to be self-consistent. Strong."

"Why?"

When he raised his eyebrows like this and smiled, she wanted to punch him first, and then laugh.

There was a silence.

"I don't want… to owe you."

"Why?" Neil inquired.

"Well… if I can't return you the money… If we… happen to get a quarrel… and…"

"And I try to take revenge using the fact that you owe me?"

Candy looked into Legan's eyes and saw he was barely controlling his anger.

"You think I can do that? I?!"

"But he could send the bill to Pony's Home, he had already done it before…" the girl thought, afraid to say such accusations aloud. But Neil seemed to have read her mind.

"Listen, Candy, your mistrust insults me," he said with a tone that would not accept any objections.

"But I… I can't help it, because you…"

He sighed.

"Well, then try to help it! I think we have settled the matter."

"No, we haven't!" miss White resented. "We haven't settled anything at all!"

"Well then let's do it!"

Neil leaned back to the bench, and under his appraising gaze Candy felt that it was not him who was making excuses, but her who was worrying over trifles.

"You know pretty well that you acted like a total…"

Neil raised his eyebrows.

"…well… not so good."

He averted his gaze, as if he couldn't look her in the eyes.

"Yes, I admit that," he said in a low tone. "But what does it have to do with now?"

The girl didn't answer, a bit bewildered by his question. For some reason, his self-confidence started to take its effect on her, too.

"But what if… then… you suddenly treat me bad again?"

Legan laughed out, as if she had said something ridiculous.

"Candy, it's in the past. Leave the past in the past. I know it's hard to believe that, if yesterday was a thunderstorm, and today it's sunny, it won't be thunderstorm again, but why live in fear of everything? Aren't you able or willing to trust me now? I know, you want me to prove my feelings to you. But I can't – either I have them or not, either you believe me or not. And I really want you to believe me, my little inquisitor…"

He took her hands and started kissing her fingers.

"Stop it!" Candy blushed and tried to take away her hands, attacked by his lips.

"And how much money has my little inquisitor spent on me?"

"Me? On you?! No, please!"

Neil laughed again, and the girl blushed even more. How did he find out? Where?

The man was still holding her hands, and his fingers were pleasantly warm.

"I'm really touched, Candy," he said seriously.


	37. Chapter 37

The barber had gone, and Annie looked closely in the mirror. Her haircut looked suitable for some important dinner or even someone's wedding. Elegantly curled hair formed a crown on her head. Magnificent!

The dress was matching the haircut, too. Miss Brighton had bought it to go to the theatre, so that Archie could see her in the light of hundreds of candles, but…

But today he would see her like this –shining and bright… but not for him.

Oh yes, one more thing. A bouquet of red roses, that she herself had bought. Where should she put it? In a vase, or maybe just leave it on a table? Yeah, she would leave it on a cupboard in the hall – carelessly, unpacked. So that it would seem that the person who had given the flowers had just been around.

A knock at the door. Yes, it was him – Archie… They had arranged to go to the cinema today. But it was before that scene in Candy's apartment. And still, he was there…

Annie had to play her role.

"Archie!" Annie smiled, maybe even too broadly. "You know, I wanted to send a note to you, but I never got the chance…" she hanged her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't go today… I…" Now she must feign confusion, uncertainty so that he knew she was lying. "I have to go with my Mom to her friend… He– I mean, she is really waiting for us. Maybe we'll meet the day after tomorrow, okay?"

The girl touched the door with her hands, as if trying to send her ex-fiancé off, but in a way that he could see the bouquet of flowers lying on the cupboard.

"All right," Archibald said quietly, slowly estimating miss Brighton's haircut and her dress, which were certainly inappropriate for a casual tea-party. "See you then!"

Who is she waiting for? Who is she going to? What's all this about? Why didn't he notice?

The young man was standing in the street, clenching his fists.

…Candy and Neil were going to Pony's Home. The girl put her face out of the window, enjoying the fresh wind.

The whole week in a calm atmosphere among loving people! She was missing the kids from Pony's Home so much! The Tree… And, of course, her moms – Miss Pony and Sister Lane!

Candy stood up impatiently, holding the car's window to see home as soon as possible, and only Neil's alarmed shout made her sit down.

"–dangerous!" he ended his speech, but miss White laughed joyfully in response.

She had never felt so free and easy. The day before, Candy had finally called the necessary sum of money, and Neil, having thought a little, multiplied it by two, thus guessing the real amount of debt, and handed the money to the girl. Remorse that she hadn't been able to do it by herself was still haunting miss White a little bit, but she waved it aside. Pony's Home!

There it was… Father Tree!

"Could you stop the car, please?" Candy cried excitedly.

Neil obeyed, but looked back in surprise.

"What's wrong?"

The girl took his hand and pulled him out of the car.

"This is Father Tree! I want to greet it!"

Legan suppressed a laugh – obviously, this tree meant a lot to Candy, and he should be careful.

The girl ran in excitement to the hill where the huge tree was growing, and Neil ran with her, too, holding her hand.

"Father Tree…" Candy looked up, and Neil thought he noticed tears in her eyes. "It used to greet me, all the time, from my childhood, and now… Now it knows everything about me."

Legan didn't know what to answer and said nothing.

"I want to climb it!"

The new idea of his love found no enthusiasm in response.

"Are you mad? Cut it out, you're gonna fall down!"

Miss White stood with her arms akimbo.

"I used to climb it when I was a teeny tiny girl, and I was all right! Let's climb it together!"

"No way!"

They argued for a while until they finally came to a conclusion that Candy would climb it, and Neil would stay on the ground.

What happened next was something incredible.

Legan, of course, had realized how hard it would be for him to be with Candy alone, outside of theatre, cinema or café… He restrained himself, perhaps, more than any monk restrained himself in the desperation of fleshly lust.

No monk had probably felt such temptation.

His beloved girl reached out and raised her arms, grabbing the twig, so that the thin fabric of her dress stretched on her body, explicitly marking her small but firm breasts; then she pulled herself up, climbing another twig, so that Neil could see her slim back, sexy hips and thin calves… Oh heavens, he could see the laces on her bloomers! He only had a glimpse of it, but it heated his imagination so much that the blood boiled in his veins. And again, these pull-ups, naked legs, these bloomers and the stretched dress on her breast…

With great effort Neil turned away and stared at the road, breathing heavily.


	38. Chapter 38

Candy was climbing the tree, her heart pounding, and the sun was pleasantly warm on her cheeks.

"I love him!" sang something inside her heart, and some happy expectation hid inside.

Having reached the highest twig, miss White sat on it with her legs hanging down and pressed her cheek against the trunk.

If the girl could see how she looked to others, she would be surprised how lovingly she was staring at Neil's small figure down there. He was kicking stones, as usual, walking back and forth impatiently.

Her lips formed an unintended smile:

"What a temper!"

She started to like everything in him - his moves, his shoulders, his ironic raising of the eyebrows, his smile, his walk, his look…

"Father Tree, I think I'm in love…" Candy whispered, pressing closer to the tree, as though it was a living being. "Oh, please, Father Tree, let everything be all right!"

Fear scratched her heart like a cold needle. Will everything be all right? Will they stay together? After all, his family hates her…

Doctor Leonard got her troubled when he spoke about marriage. Neil hadn't said anything about that yet. And for some reason Candy was now upset about it…

If they could only run away from the world to a place where they could be together, just the two of them! Everything would be so much easier and clearer.

But it was only a dream. She had to find a way to get along with his family, and he had to get on well with Annie and Archie… And what about mister Albert? She still hadn't replied to him.

"Oh, Father Tree… Do you remember how I used to climb you when I was little? Everything was so simple back then. And now…"

Candy hugged the trunk once again.

"Please, Father Tree! Let everything be all right!"

Then the girl started to descend.

…Neil had already paced the path several times, when he looked up once again. There she is, coming down! The white bloomers are getting closer, so defenceless against the experienced hand of a man!

Her body, her scent, her hair, her eyes and her lips were getting closer…

After all, sooner or later, she would be his anyway, so why not now?

The ground was warm, the grass was soft, he could spread his jacket on the ground, and they would be perfectly comfortable.

That would be so natural - to make her his own right here, right now, where the world seemed to have frozen and focused in a happy tranquility, with the sun shining and no one around…

Passion had completely clouded his mind, he could not think of anything else but their bodies joining together as one. He could not wait any longer! He'd rather die or disappear than wait for another moment.

Candy was almost on the ground, he could see her red cheeks, he could almost hear her ragged breathing, as though after the night of love…

Neil reached out and caught the girl to help her descend, and she fell into his arms like a mellow fruit.

Legan kissed her at once, he could not wait any longer. His arms held her closer, and every time he kissed Candy, he put even more passion that was burning him from the inside.

His hands moved lower, but this time Candy didn't get scared - on the contrary, the eager sensation in her stomach exulted and roused to his touch. She twined her arms around his neck, plunging her fingers into his hair.

The girl closed her eyes, having completely surrendered to her feelings, responding to his kisses and getting new, more passionate and exciting ones…

"Candy! Candy is here!"

The young people started back from each other, as if they had been electrocuted. Trying their best to catch their breath, tidy their hair and readjust the clothes, they saw them…

"Little bastards!" Neil screamed in his mind, looking at the figures of little people. Yes, it was them. The kids of Pony's Home.

He thought we would just die of his desire. God damn them!

"Sally! John! Kelly!" Candy cried joyfully, rushing towards the kids and getting down to her knees to hug every one of them.

Little brats surrounded his beloved girlfriend like ants, and Neil could hear some indistinct whoops.

"How is Miss Pony? How is Sister Lane? I'm fine! Do you still pee in your bed? How is Mina?"

Finally, Legan lost his patience and came closer. Everyone looked back at him and hushed up, examining him.

"Who is this man?" the smallest kid asked. "Your husband?"

Candy became as red as her dress. Neil said nothing and just smiled broadly. The kids from _her_ Home, so she's the one to explain everything to them!

"Husband… why husband?" she began to babble. "He is… just…"

"You were kissing!" the kid delivered his judgment, pointing at Neil with a convicting gesture. "And we know that adults kiss only when they are husband and wife!"

"Or bride and groom!" added a girl with pigtails that were adorned with red ribbons.

The kids stared at Candy again.

"Bride and groom. Yes, we are bride and groom," she murmured, helplessly looking around in search of support.

Neil smiled even wider. Those words were so pleasant to hear.

Then he finally came to rescue her. Having suggested that the kids should see Candy to her Mothers, he said he would drive up to Pony's Home right after them.

"Candy's a bride! Candy's a bride!" screamed the little executioners, pulling their elder friend's arms towards Pony's Home…


	39. Chapter 39

That's right. Their girl hadn't come alone. Miss Pony anxiously stroked down her hair and readjusted her apron, running downstairs. Couldn't she have warned her? What a naughty girl!

Having heard the outcries "Candy's a bride" and seen the red car on the road, the old woman's understanding heart realized that the day had come.

The day when their little Candice had completely grown up and brought the man, with whom she would enter the adult life and become a wife and a mother.

In the moments when Miss Pony was free of concerns (usually before going to bed), in her mind she returned to Candy, to this restless freckled girl, whom, despite the fact that she had grown up and left the orphanage, the old lady still thought of as her little girl.

Maybe it was wrong, but she loved Candy more than anyone else, like her own daughter.

And since that thoughtful dark-haired man named Terrus had shown up at the door of Pony's Home, Miss Pony had often wondered what the man of Candy's choice would be like.

Oh, how she wanted her to find a reliable and loyal person, the one she would be happy with. The girl had suffered enough anyway…

Terrus hadn't come any more, and Candy didn't speak about him. Perhaps, they had a misunderstanding or something, so common of the young people… Miss Pony didn't ask her and didn't try to find it out. If Candy had decided so, then it had to have happened this way.

One day a young Head of Andrew clan came to visit them – Albert. That was the man! So rich and so important, but at the same time so simple and kind and cheerful! He would fool around with the kids like a child himself, he loved animals – he played with Mina. Miss Pony liked him very much, and she would be happy if her girl met such a man…

But Albert never came back, and if Candy talked about him, she spoke of him as a friend. And again, the housemother didn't ask her anything – the heart wants what it wants…

And now their girl has grown up, and this must be her final choice… How old is she now? Twenty-one or so… Time runs so fast!

With an outcry "Hush, children", Sister Lane calmed down the excited kids and thus gave Candy a break.

"Miss Pony! Sister Lane!" Candy rushed to hug her Mothers and, although they hadn't seen each other for about a month or two, it seemed like it had been ages.

Then everyone came up to the red car with an "L" logo. Legan?

The man got out of the car and took the bags with the products from the rear seats. The kids surrounded the stranger, silently staring at him. Candy, having gone red again, was tousling the hem of her dress with downcast eyes.

"Candy, come on," Miss Pony smiled, touching her favourite's shoulder. "Introduce your young gentleman to us."

"Yeah, sure…" the girl reached out her arm. "Ahem… Neil… Daniel Legan. Neil, these are my nur– my two Mothers," she smiled and said it without confusion. "Miss Pony and Sister Lane."

"Nice to meet you!" said the three of them in unison and laughed.

After that, Candy and her housemothers cooked simple but delicious meals, the adults took the tables outside and covered them with white table-cloth.

Time for some feast!

Sitting at the top of the table with his darling, Neil suddenly felt very nervous. Ironic, but he was so nervous as though those were not some ordinary low-born women and orphans, but his girlfriend's important parents and relatives, whose permission to marry her he was going to ask.

Legan had always thought of Pony's Home as some horrible, foul place, the only good side of which was the fact that it had given the opportunity to his beloved lady to survive in her childhood. The inhabitants of this place were the orphans, abandoned by their parents or relatives; the nurses had seemed to him like some vagabonds, criminals, lowlifers – the ones you know about, but neither want to have anything in common with nor meet closer.

But now, sitting next to his darling and listening to the kids vying to tell stories, he felt them casting a huge wave of love upon him – they had already liked him only for loving Candy, their Candy, the one that they adored. The kids put the best pieces in his plate, gave him their candies in spite of his objections, and before he sat at the table, each kid hugged him.

At first Neil barely suppressed his disgust, feeling that he was being hugged by not-so-very-clean hands, but then, looking into the kids' sincere eyes, he suddenly realized that he was glad to see them, too, and responded to each embrace with growing enthusiasm.

Miss Pony had worried in vane: the young man's face, that looked arrogant at first, completely changed when he was looking at their girl, and the hard look of his brown eyes became softer. And when Daniel just stared at Candy for a long time with a strange mix of awe, tenderness and passion, the old woman understood he was actually in love with her.

"And do you love our Candy much?" little Sam asked and even stopped chewing, waiting for an answer.

"With all my heart!" quietly and very seriously replied Candy's chosen one.

Candy was enjoying every moment of it. She had been afraid and confused of something until recently, but now, surrounded by loved and loving people at her home place, she felt that her soul had spread her wings, singing with joy.

She had been crying so much not a long time ago, almost every day; the sense of uncertainty, guilt, alarm and fear would not let her go. But now all the bad things had faded away like smoke in the wind.

Miss White had been worried how Neil would behave towards the kids and how they would meet him, but now she could see she had made the right thing.


	40. Chapter 40

Candy was enjoying every moment of it. She had been afraid and confused of something until recently, but now, surrounded by loved and loving people at her home place, she felt that her soul had spread her wings, singing with joy.

She had been crying so much not a long time ago, almost every day; the sense of uncertainty, guilt, alarm and fear would not let her go. But now all the bad things had faded away like smoke in the wind.

Miss White had been worried how Neil would behave towards the kids and how they would meet him, but now she could see she had made the right thing. A child's heart cannot be deceived, and if Neil were a bad person, they wouldn't flock to him. And now, even if the girl had any doubts deep inside, seeing his expensive jacket stained with the kids' dirty hands, she realized she had made the right choice.

Now that the closest people were supporting her, Candy calmed down and did not hesitate any longer. She was looking at Neil with little Sam sitting on his lap and suddenly realized she wanted them to have a baby, too. Their baby, who would be sitting on Neil's lap…

…As the sun sank and the kids were told to go to bed, the lovers were walking quietly towards Father Tree.

It was the very place where Neil had felt for the first time that loving Candy was not a challenge, was not something unnatural or wrong. No, it was a normal state of things. He was going against his family and his friends to be with her, and everyone would say that he had made the wrong choice, like it was his caprice or a sally of youth. But here in this quiet place everyone loved this girl so much, admiring her zest for life, her kindness and her naughtiness, and with a sigh of relief did Neil surrender to the universal adoration of this girl. He didn't need his habit to always defend his feelings for Candy among his relatives, to backtalk and take a punch, he didn't need to always be on the guard, so he relaxed completely. Here he was finally able to tell her openly how much he loved her…

The man dropped the fatally flawed jacket on the ground and sat on it. Candy settled down beside him. So they sat in silence, huddled, leaning against the huge trunk of Father Tree. Some nocturnal insects were chirring, and the whole world seemed to have frozen in expectation.

"I want to marry you," Neil said in an even tone, and as Candy's eyes rounded, she could see a velvet box that Legan had sneaked out of his pocket.

Just by his slightly quivering fingers the girl understood he was nervous. She raised her hands to take the box, but suddenly felt her heart sink and her arms tremble. She even felt dizzy with excitement. What was this feeling? Why?

Finally, she opened the box. Inside was sitting a gold ring with a large gem, breaking the last rays of the day into a gleaming spectrum.

Candy looked up and saw such impatience on Legan's face that she barely controlled herself not to burst out laughing.

"Yes, I want it too… I want to marry you," she replied rapidly in his tone.

This is so much like him – to say "I want to marry you" rather than "Will you marry me?", but every second she was loving this trait of character even more.

The girl felt so nervous, that she thought the world would just turn topsy-turvy. She was changing her destiny with bare words. Now they were together!

"Will you?" Candy asked, holding out the box to Neil.

"Sure," he uttered and, having taken it, pulled out the ring. His hands quivered once again, but Candy's fingers were shaking so much that the man had to take her hand to calm her down.

"My hands are shaking," Candy whispered.

"Mine too... I thought I would die waiting for your answer."

"I almost died, too. And I'm still dying!"

The ring finally settled on her finger.

"Fits perfectly! How did you know the size?"

Neil laughed quietly.

"I know everything about you, Candy..."

Their faces moved closer, and their lips touched...

...And then Neil had to go away to the Legans' mansion, as he simply had nowhere to sleep. The mansion was quite close to Pony's Home... but so freakishly far from Candy!

As Candy watched the red car go away, for the first time she wished they could stay together overnight. She was not afraid of anything anymore, all she wanted was to be with him all the time! Wake up and fall asleep next to him...

And even at her home place, the girl felt horrendously alone without her beloved boyfriend.


	41. Chapter 41

..."Announce that we're engaged?" Candy's eyes rounded in surprise. They were sitting at the roots of Father Tree again, and Neil was nervously plucking the grass around him.

"Of course! If people want to get married, they must announce their engagement."

They kept silent. Then the girl said in a dreamy way:

"You know, I... I'd like it to be just the two of us. Without all the fuss and clamor."

Neil held Candy closer by the shoulders.

"I also thought about it. We could run away to a paradise island, or a small church and then come back to Chicago and say: "We are husband and wife!". But now I think it would be wrong. Depriving our friends and relatives of this feast would be wrong."

Miss White raised her eyebrows:

"So I can invite Miss Pony and Sister Lane? And the kids?"

"Sure thing! It's your engagement. Our engagement," Neil laughed, but then knit his brows. "And we'll also have to invite all the relatives and friends."

Candy sighed. She thought about Elisa, Madam Elroy, Mrs. Legan. And Archie.

"We will fulfill the decencies from our part, and whether to come or not is just their business. I'm not going to hide and get married secretly, like some couples in Gretna Green. Everyone must reckon with our choice and our future family."

"You're right," Candy plucked a bunch of herbs, too. "The sooner they get used to the idea of us being together, the better."

The girl put out her left arm to feast her eyes upon the gleaming gem.

"Are you sure it's better to announce the engagement now? When... Annie and Archie have had a fight?"

"Listen, Candy, if we're going to wait until they reconcile, until Elise gets married, until the old maid from Street 59 finds her fortune, I'm afraid we'll never make it to our wedding!" Legan snorted. "They have nothing to do with it. This is our business, our life. If they can't be happy for you, then they're not quite good friends!"

He was right again. Candy closed her eyes and just enjoyed the closeness of her darling, his warmth. Why doesn't she let her friends be happy for her? Don't they wish her happiness?

...A week at Pony's Home went very quickly. Neil came every day, and Miss White got happier. Close people, fresh air, scheduled food, no tears or stress made her body and soul stronger.

She raced with the kids, climbed the tree, sometimes slept and ate as much as she wanted. But by the end of the week the girl had started to miss her favorite work and the patients, whom she had left behind in Chicago.

...And finally - the first working day! Candy returned to work with enthusiasm, cheerfully running along the corridors, rattling with trolleys filled with breakfasts and pills.

Still, her mind was absent. Miss White just couldn't help it. Today she had to give the engagement invitations to Annie and Archie and send one to Patty. What is going to happen? Why is she so worried? Should she write to Mr. Albert? So many questions!

Boy, why can't everyone be happy? How is Annie going to react to Candy's marriage? She who wanted to be with Archie so much, to be a wife, a real housewife... She who has everything for it, absolutely everything! And this fool Archie ruins everything, why is he like this? Why is he being so rude? If only she could knock some sense into his head! How great would it be to have Annie's engagement at first, and only then – Candy's. She wouldn't be distressed for her girlfriend, and Annie would be happy... But yeah, who knows how much they have to wait...

BANG!

A vial with an expensive drug smashed into pieces - it had simply slipped out of Candy's suddenly weakened hands... And, as ill luck would have it, Doctor Leonard was just walking along the corridor!

"Doctor Leonard, I..."

"Come to my office, Candice," he uttered and kept on walking without turning to her. Candy drooped her head. Clumsy, that's right! They called her clumsy, and clumsy she was!


	42. Chapter 42

Candy stood in front of Doctor Leonard's desk.

"So, Miss White, what have you decided concerning your future work?" the doctor asked, fiddling with his glasses.

Dear God! She completely forgot to talk to Neil about her job. But she will continue working. This is her business and her decision.

"Yes, of course, Doctor Leonard! I will work, just like before."

"Stop it!" said Leonard with a blow on the table. "I see you're lying. You haven't talked about anything, you just forgot about my request. And you forgot that I had warned you to be more self-disciplined. And so what? On the very first day you have smashed the medication that is very hard to get!"

The girl appealingly pressed her hands to her chest.

"But Doctor Leonard... I'm sorry! I... It won't happen again. It was just one time, and could've happened to anyone..."

"No, it couldn't!" the head doctor stood up. "Such things happen only to you, for some reason. I think it would be better for everyone if you wrote a resignation notice right now."

"What?" Candy went cold. For God's sake, why?

"It would be better for everyone if you retired without a fuss," Doctor Leonard repeated dryly looking out of the window.

Miss White sat at the desk and took a sheet of paper and a pen.

"I shouldn't argue with you because you have already decided everything, right?" she uttered quietly.

"Miss White. I try to be fair to everyone. Think of it - why do you need a job if you are going to marry a rich man?"

"But it's my life's most-"

"Hold it. You are playing your mission, your path, playing a nurse. And some girl really does need this job, these duties and yes - this salary! And you are occupying her place playing a nurse."

"I'm not playing!" Candy put away the pen. "I studied at Mary's school."

"Yes, you were not playing back then. But now you have turned your activity into foolery. Don't you think so yourself? You are going to come to work in an expensive car, go inside and start changing bandages?"

Candy had nothing to answer, because it was exactly what she wanted to do. She didn't want to quit the work that she had devoted all her life to. Is it totally incompatible with marriage?

As in a fog, the girl scratched a few lines on a pristine white piece of paper and handed it over to the doctor.

"Great. Starting from tomorrow you are free. File your reports to Natalie today and pack your things. Tomorrow you'll get your dismissal pay."

It's overwhelming how fast you can get rid of a person if you have such power! Doctor Leonard must have decided everything while Candy was on a vacation leave.

The nurses didn't support her either. For some reason, when they heard she was "going to marry a rich man", everyone became cold and hostile to her.

"Why would you need a job?" every one of them kept asking her. Like she hadn't been working with them all those years... Like it all could be just crossed out by Leonard's only phrase - "foolery".

Candy packed her things and suddenly remembered she had left her book behind at the front desk, so she went there. Tomorrow she would come here as an employee for the last time...

There was no one at the front desk - the nurse must have gone out. Miss White took her book and then her gaze landed on the telephone.

The girl sat down, picked up the receiver and instinctively dialed a familiar number.

"Put me through to mister Legan, please."

There were some clicks, and then his voice replied. So powerful and confident.

"Hello?"

"They fired me," Candy uttered, and suddenly her throat twisted with convulsion. She didn't cry at Doctor Leonard's office, she was calm when she was packing her things and saying goodbye to her colleagues and patients, but now she realized what had happened. She sobbed and burst into tears like a child.

"I'll come to you. I'll come to you right now, you hear me? Don't go away!"

"Okay," the girl said in a weak voice, wiped her face and hung up.

She took the bag with her things, almost on her tiptoes left the office and sidled along the corridor.

Having left the building, Candy walked up to the bench where she usually waited for Neil after work.

There she sat, mechanically crumbling the bun that she had taken for lunch, feeding pigeons and trying to calm down.


	43. Chapter 43

The rustle of the wheels startled the pigeons, and Candy looked up impatiently.

Neil!

No sooner had he closed the door of the car than the girlfriend was already in his arms. Candy was no longer crying – she just burrowed her face in his shirt, smelling his fragrance.

Legan tousled her hair.

"So who's offending my little inquisitor out here? Is he alive yet?"

Candy laughed unintentionally at the way he showed surprise. But then he became serious.

They got in the car and he stepped on the gas.

"After all, he has a point. This is work, and you're gonna be thinking about wedding, dress, invitations, all sort of stuff. This is a hospital, not some flower shop, where a slight distraction of the employee won't do much harm."

"Yeah, you're right. And he is right, too," the girl agreed. "But what am I gonna do?"

"I think it's obvious," Neil replied in a calm manner, as if there had been no problem at all. "You're going to get married and find a job after all the ceremonies, when the dust settles and your status is well respectable."

"But…"

"Candy, I don't think that there's _no_ hospital in Chicago that needs a nurse! Foolery or not – they can always use some spare labor force. Doctor Leonard's balking only because you did break the rules multiple times."

"So… I'll be able to work again?"

"Of course! Okay, look, we're having an engagement in two weeks, a wedding in, like, two months. And a honeymoon, of course. You're not going to ditch it, are you?"

His brown eyes narrowed a little.

"No, no way!" Candy smiled.

"Well, then in three months we're gonna start looking for a job together."

"Together?"

"You'll be searching, I'll be searching, and I'm sure we'll find something for you."

The problem that had seemed insolvable at first now turned out to have a simple solution. The girl was overwhelmed by gratitude. She leaned to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thank you… for understanding me!"

The man pulled off, stopped the car and turned his smiling face to Miss White.

"Now, for understanding you, I demand that you kiss me properly."

Candy laughed and kissed him on the lips. She was now happy again.

Then they had a pretty nice lunch at a café.

After that, Neil said he had to come back to the office to settle the issues he hadn't been able to postpone, and Candy was getting ready to meet her friends. The girl took beautiful invitation cards out of the book where she had put them so they wouldn't get crumpled, and put them into her handbag.

Legan gave his fiancée a ride to the café, which was quite close to her apartment that she soon was going to leave, and the lovers waved off. Soon they would never part, spending their evenings together!

In the highest spirits Candy entered the café,where Annie and Archie were already waiting for her.

They were sitting together, but still looked like strangers.

The young people avoided eye contact, and Miss Brighton would readjust her fancy hair setting from time to time. She looked really stunning, as if she had come to some important party, not a regular meeting with friends.

"Hi!" the old friends greeted each other with overdone cheer. After that scene at Candy's place, she hadn't seen Archie, and everyone felt awkward.

"Friends, I want to tell you some… news!" Miss White smiled, but started to feel the anxiety surge up. She wanted to say "great news" at first, but she stopped short. But they must understand her! They love her, and she is so happy!

Annie and Archie were waiting expectantly. They didn't ask her "what news?", and Candy's high spirits started to sag.

"So, I… I mean, we… Anyway, here," she ended her clumsy speech and held out the invitation cards.

In the next few minutes, everything went just like in her worst fears. Having looked through the card, Cornwell started his attack right away.

"My gosh, Candy! Are you crazy? Wanna ruin your life? Do you understand who you are dealing with?"

"That's because she's desperate," Annie suddenly edged in. "Desperate about being alone. We must stop it, Archie! Candy, listen," she reached out and put her hand on her astonished friend's wrist. "Wow! What a gem!"

Candy looked around helplessly.

"Guys, listen, I…"

"There's nothing to listen to! Candy, how did he make you do it? What did this bastard do to you?"

"Nothing!"

"Are you pregnant? That's why you decided so, isn't it?" said Annie.

"No way!"

"Did you forget about all his bullying? How he treated you?" Archie kept coming down on her.

"Yes, I did!" Candy turned to him defiantly. "This is the past that's left in the past."

"Oh, the past! Then I'll tell you about your future – he will bully you even more, even worse, much worse, because you will be within his grasp!"

"How can you even kiss with him? He's not even a man, he's a nasty oozy toad!"

"He's a wretch and a coward!"

"You'll be living with his mommy and his sissy, is that what you want?"

"Stop it!"

Annie and Archie stopped talking, because the visitors started to turn around at them.

Looking into her friends' faces, Candy could almost see an impenetrable wall between them and her.

"Annie… Archie… I know you must be taken aback… But trust me, this is my decision. I'm happy. There was no pressure. And if you're insulting him, you're insulting me, too."

Archie sighed.

"So what could he have possibly done to make you change your mind? I personally didn't notice any changes in him – he's still a wretch!"

Miss White leant forward to reply, but then realized she couldn't. What was going on between her and her loved one was too personal, too intimate to share with anybody. She couldn't tell them about anything: neither their walks, their kisses, the way he carried her, their time at Pony's Home… nor the handkerchiefs, the calls, the "little inquisitor"…

"Just trust me," she uttered quietly. "Just trust my heart, like I did. I… I would really like to share this joyful day… with you."


	44. Chapter 44

Archie took his head in his hands.

"Candy, I'm trying, I'm really trying to understand you. But don't expect me to jump for joy because of your choice."

"This is a very serious thing to do, Candy," Annie said mildly. "Marriage is forever, you know. For the rest of your life!"

"That's exactly what I want!" Miss White exclaimed.

Her friends looked at her, as if she were crazy. There was a long and heavy silence, and the freckled girl's eyes started to fill with tears.

"Candy, listen," Cornwell made himself calm down with a great deal of effort and continued in a soft-spoken manner. "Okay, so you've decided so. Okay, let's assume he's being nice to you now. Wants to take your fancy. But there's no need to rush! Why don't you wait for, like, a year? And if he remains nice to you, then get married?"

"It's reasonable, Candy!" Annie supported Archie. "People don't make such decisions in a rush."

Candy started up. Her eyes were shining with asurge of anger. What was the matter with her?

And then she said something she immediately regretted saying. It came out so spontaneously…

"And how do people make such decisions?! Like you, huh? Waiting for something for ten years and then break up? You just want to separate us! You won't!"

Annie turned pale, and Archie looked at Candy as if he had never seen her before.

"You… you have become just like him!" Miss Brighton delivered a verdict. "Repulsive, angry and rude!"

"Well, fine!"

Candy went out of the café at a brisk pace, having slammed the door.

They had no right to insult him! She asked them! Several times!

Although, she shouldn't have said that. What kind of friend is she? Those words were totally not what she wanted to say… Why did she do this? But she really worries about them…

Totally upset, Miss White went upstairs and, having entered her apartment, hugged the teddy bear.

Just like him… Fine, so be it!

…Neil Legan was sitting at the table in his room decorating the last invitation card. When he returned home after a hard day in the office,he immediately got down to these invitations. Gotta do everything by himself, so that everything is top-level. Gotta keep an eye on every single bow and prepare the engagement by himself, doing all that woman stuff. But there was no other way. He couldn't trust anyone. Even his own mother.

Madam Elroy came in without knocking.

"What is this rag that you're wearing?"

"It's not a rag, it's a handkerchief," Daniel replied calmly, writing the last word on the card deliberately long. Only then did he stand up to show respect.

"Sure… That's her present, isn't it?"

"Yes. And even if she'd given me a slipknot, I would've put it around my neck with the same enthusiasm," the old lady's grandson added. Madam Elroy looked in Neil's eyes in surprise and suddenly met the look that was just as fierce as hers.

Two pairs of brown eyes were looking angrily at each other, but Legan's eyes were more severe and piercing, and the old woman was the first to shift her gaze.

She suddenly felt old and tired. Her time had passed – the time when she could decide the fates of Andrew and Legan families with a single turn of her head, with a single sigh. Neil, who had always been so gentle and polite, didn't respect her any longer.

"I get it. I will not interfere. Besides, you are an adult, and you know what you're doing."

"Then why are you here?"

It also hurt her, but she didn't say anything.

"I wanted to ask. Will you write to William?"

"I didn't want to, but I did already. Formally, we are inviting everyone."

Formally! Yes, this is what she had taught them… Of course, Neil disliked Albert. His arrival brought only humiliation to Daniel's engagement… But Madam Elroy loved her good-for-nothing little boy, who adored animals and didn't want to do what a person of his status was supposed to do.

And now he had gone again… Some where far away. Everyone was abandoning her – Antony, Stear… And now, Neil had become strange to her. Elisa would soon get married and move to her husband…

"Write to him, please," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I already did."

The old woman stood up to leave. She could feel that Neil was trembling with impatience, waiting for her to go away.

But Elisa and her brother used to visit her all the time, drinking tea and having a good time together… They loved her. Or did they not?

"I wish you happiness," Madam Elroy whispered, leaving the room.

Maybe he heard her, maybe not. What really mattered was that she really wished her grandchildren happiness…


	45. Chapter 45

"Wont' do. It's too open," Daniel delivered his verdict, leaning back in the armchair.

With a sigh Candy turned back to the mirror. The shop owner stealthily pursed her mouth. So hard to please this Legan!

They were choosing the engagement dress. Two days had passed since Candy had had that unfortunate conversation with her friends, and only now could Neil find time to go to the shop with her. As ill luck would have it, he now had even more work to do, not to mention that the preparation to the engagement party took a lot of his time.

"But this color is so beautiful," Miss White uttered, looking in the mirror for the last time. The dress was light green; it showed off her white skin to full advantage and matched her eyes and her hair.

Legan stood up and addressed the seller.

"Then I want the same dress to be ready by the end of the week, but with a modest neckline. And a clutch bag, the shoes and so on."

His fiancée smiled happily and went to change.

"A green one?" the shop owner murmured. "I hear, green color brings bad luck."

"Only a big mouth and a silly head bring bad luck," snapped the young man. How dare they wish bad luck before his engagement? Good thing that Candy did not hear it.

The shop owner started to apologize profusely, but Neil's mood didn't get any better. Some vague uneasiness was tormenting his heart. Everything was too good to be true, and soon he and his beloved girl would be happy together! He had been waiting for so many years, he had barely lost his hope. And now, a miracle was happening right before his eyes.

Neil was always on the alert for plots and traps, expecting something bad to happen. Something that would separate them.

He was expecting dirty tricks from everyone, for his happiness was too fragile.

One word, one action, one hint could easily repel his girlfriend. What if her guardian came back? What if, all of a sudden, this little actor showed up right before the wedding?

His friends and his family were all against their union, too. Too many foes around and no friends at all!

He wished this joyful day would finally come, and she would be his forever! He would never give her up to anyone, would never let her go… And until then…

Candy doesn't fully trust him yet – maybe she doesn't even trust him at all, and sees him only because she's attracted to him… This is all so fragile and unstable!

The lovers were sitting in a café having lunch. The freckled girl stretched herself.

"I'm so tired of this trying-on."

"Yeah, you don't look like a fashionmonger," Neil smiled, reaching out and pulling the ribbon on the girl's ponytail to let her hair down.

"What are you doing?" Candy got jokingly angry and laughed. But then her face became concerned again. "I had a fight with Annie and Archie."

Neil whistled in surprise.

"And what did you do? Gave it hot to them?"

"I was rude to them," the girl sighed sadly, not accepting his cheer.

"No way!" Legan smirked and leant forward. "What did you say, come on, tell me!"

Candy briefly retold him their conversation and blinked in surprise when her fiancé roared with laughter.

"God, Candy, that's great! Ha-ha-ha!" He couldn't stop laughing. "Wiped their noses! A-ha-ha-ha! Should've said like: I'm not taking advice on married life… from singles! Ha-ha-ha!"

"But Neil, that's rude! How can you say that? How can you even laugh at that?"

The man wiped the tears of laughter.

"I'm laughing because it's funny. That's all."

"That's not funny at all! They are in distress, they suffer. It's sinful to laugh at that."

Neil rolled his eyes.

"Honey, a lot of things are sinful. Remember back in college, the sisters would always harp on that it's sinful to eat much, to drink much, to kiss, to swear and to miss Sunday service? That's all true, but if you follow all those rules… you'll just want to hang yourself. Of course, I keep the commandments like "thou shalt not kill", "thou shalt not steal", but yeah, I swear, and I sure as hell laugh if something's funny!"

"So it was funny when they sent me to Mexico, wasn't it?" Miss White suddenly asked.

Neil turned pale. It seemed like a grenade had exploded or the earth had cracked under his feet. His hands got cold.

"No… No, of course not, it wasn't funny," he murmured. No, please, not this! If she starts to recall everything…


	46. Chapter 46

Candy looked at Neil's instantly grey face and felt ashamed. They had decided not to stir up the past! Why did she have to say this?

"Neil, I…" she said, but he interrupted her.

"Candy, if you leave me, I don't know what I'm gonna do!"

The girl blinked in surprise, but somehow felt he was serious. His eyes, usually so scornful, were filled with fear. Fear to lose her.

Candy quickly stood up, came up to Neil's sofa, sat down beside him and hugged him.

"Look at you, silly boy!"

They were sitting together, hugging each other, for quite a long time, and the waiters delicately passed by. Sometimes either Candy or Neil would tighten their embrace and silently laugh.

"Silly boy, you," the girl repeated.

"I wrote to Albert. I guess he will come," Daniel said quietly. He didn't know why he was saying this, but he wanted to tell her about William.

"Oh, really? Good," the girl answered in a calm and almost indifferent tone.

Neil straightened his back a little to look into her eyes.

"You say it as if you don't care. You were so worried about him! He's like an elder brother to you…"

She sighed.

"Maybe it is bad, but I really don't care. My thoughts are too busy thinking about other things. My head is full. I'm so anxious! And I'm so looking forward to it… And Annie… I'm thinking about her. And I still haven't answered his letter yet. That's bad, isn't it?"

The man kept silent.

"He will understand you," Neil finally replied. He hugged his girlfriend even closer, feeling the warmth of her body, smelling her fragrance and hearing her heart beating. Only today, realizing all the depth of his happiness, he was afraid to lose her.

"And what if… he comes?" Legan said so quietly, that Candy asked to repeat.

"Who – he?"

"Well… he."

"Mister Albert?"

"God, no!" Neil backed away, irritated by her slowness. He just couldn't say his name aloud, but for some reason he couldn't help asking.

"I don't understand you at all," Candy had a serious and surprised look.

"Well… if… I mean, what if this man… what if he comes? The actor."

"What actor?" Miss White was still not following. "What's the matter with you?"

"What if Terence Granchester comes to you?" Neil was finally able to utter these horrible words and froze in an agonizing suspense.

"Why would he come? Where?"

"Dammit! To you! What if he just comes to you?"

"But why?"

"How do I know? If he just gets a wild hair up his butt reading about our engagement in the newspaper and comes to you?"

Candy finally realized what he was driving at and couldn't restrain a laugh.

"What are you, jealous?"

"I don't see anything funny about it."

The girl hugged her boyfriend and tousled his hair, as if he were a child.

"You're being so silly today. I'll tell you, but don't make up such nonsense anymore…" Then she spoke pensively, as though to herself. "I loved Antony and Terry. They gave me love and tenderness. And they will always have a special place in my heart. I don't want to neither give up these cherished memories, nor deny and diminish their importance to me. I loved them with all my heart, but we had to break up… I mean, death is also just a breakup, isn't it? Maybe, someday, we will all meet in a better world, where all the earthly sorrows and pleasures don't mean anything anymore… But now… Now we are alive, we are together, we love each other! When you take my hand, my heart trembles. I want to live and love, I want to go with you… I feel your warmth, I see your smile… We have so many things ahead! So many things that we can do together. So, whoever comes to me, I'll tell him I want to be with you."

And then they kissed.


	47. Chapter 47

Candy and Neil were driving in the direction of where the girl's finger was pointing. She had a new idea and wanted to introduce her fiancé to "a very good man".

"It looks like Madam Elroy is starting to lose marbles," Daniel started a new topic to discuss.

Miss White uttered a surprised outcry.

"Can you imagine what she told me yesterday?" Neil turned the steering wheel, smartly driving into a curve. "She says we're all crazy, that we don't want to live beside her. She's like: the Andree family and the Legan family have always lived nearby! She's either crazy, or she must be up to something."

"Maybe she's just very lonely?" Candy asked.

"Lonely! That's ridiculous. She's always loved solitude. When everyone was having fun, she would always sit somewhere in the distance, like an old crow, don't you remember?"

"Neil, you can't be so cruel-hearted. I'll talk to her."

"It's a bad idea, Candy. Just think of it, she hates you!"

"She just doesn't like me much. Because I don't comply with the rules. But not reckoning with her at all… is bad."

"You want to live next to Aunt Elroy? Next to my mother?"

"At least I've got to talk to them."

Legan rolled his eyes, as though calling to supreme forces.

"Talk to my mother! Great idea! Maybe you will also ask for Eliza's blessing?"

The girl laughed.

"I'll just talk to those who want it. To Madam Elroy, for instance. Intimidating and breaking the bonds with them is not good…"

"I know very well how they treat you, and that's why I want to protect you from them. Protect us."

"You shouldn't expect only bad things from people. They can change."

"You're incorrigible," Neil turned again, obeying his darling's finger.

"So are you. Here we are!"

Yes, it was it – that hole where Candy used to work, "Happy Clinic". Why are they here?

Legan stopped the car and looked around apprehensively. Hardly a prestige neighborhood.

"Let's go," Candy smiled and took his hand. He could follow her anywhere, as long as he could feel the warmth of her palm. Even to hell.

Doctor Martin was having a lunch-break, which had almost shifted to evening, because he had a lot of patients to see. Now it was a moment of bliss, when he could finally have a glass of whis—

"Doctor, again?!"

The man flung his arms up in surprise, and the glass sonorously broke to pieces.

"Candy! You scared me so much! Look what you've done…" Then Martin realized it was her – Candy, and cried with joy: "Candy!"

"Doctor Martin!" the girl heartily hugged the short man with the moustache. Neil stamped his feet for a while, trying to look unruffled.

"How is it going, Candy?" The doctor asked, slightly moving Miss White away and examining her face. "Why aren't you at work now?"

"Wait a minute, mister Martin…" Miss White shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts under the barrage of questions. Then she took Legan's arm and pulled him closer. "Doctor, I wanted to tell you some joyful news…" Her eyes shone. "I… I'm getting married! This is my fiancé… Daniel…"

Neil reached his hand out, and a slightly puzzled doctor pressed it warmly.

"Daniel Legan," the freckled nurse finished her speech. "We would like to invite you to our engage—"

"Is this the guy that you leaped into the lake from?" the man suddenly remembered. "A-ha-ha-ha!" he roared with laughter.

Neil frowned.

"Doctor… Doctor…" Candy tried to appeal to him, but Martin could not stop.

"My God… Ho-ho-ho! Who can understand a woman… A-ha-ha-ha! Oh, boy, Candy! Ha-ha-ha!"

"Doctor Martin," the girl made another attempt to stop his laughter, but Neil put his hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, Candy, let him laugh. It's really funny."

However careless he might have wanted to seem, there was some sadness in his voice. The doctor stopped laughing at once.

"I didn't want to offend you, lad!" he smiled and smacked Candy's favorite on the shoulder. "I'm very happy for you, and of course I'll come. Our little Candy deserves happiness more than anyone else."

"Great!" Miss White was filled with enthusiasm. "But there's one more thing. I have a proposal for you. Let's sit down."

Martin looked at Legan, but having seen his confused look realized that he was not aware of his fiancée's idea either. Laughter started to choke the good-natured man again, but he suppressed it.

The three sat at a small table, and the men expectantly looked at the girl.

"So," Candy put her hands on the table, "the thing is… I don't work at Saint John's Hospital anymore."

"Were you fired again?" the doctor fell about laughing. "O-ho-ho-ho! My God… A-ha-ha-ha! What have you done, Candy?"

"This is my fault," her fiancé chimed in. "They didn't want to keep her because she's getting married and won't need a salary anymore."

"A very silly thing to do," Martin noted. "Candy is a great nurse!"

He kept silent for a while, and then added, like it was an afterthought.

"If you want to work, you can come back to me. You were so great! I can't manage it all alone."

"Thank you, doctor Martin!" Candy beamed. "I have a nice idea. We can all – together – make this clinic… big. And everyone who comes here will get free medical treatment. Our future family will help with the equipment and the improvements…"

The doctor shifted his gaze from the girl's inspired eyes to the arrogant face of Legans' offspring, but, to his surprise, Daniel approved of his fiancée's project.

"So that's the idea that you had!" he said. "It might be possible, if the clinic owner agrees. Thus, we will give money to real charity, and the doctor and the nurses will get a salary."

"Of course, the doctor agrees!" Martin laughed. "But on one condition: if at least for several times a week the best nurse in the world will help me."

"Who's that nurse?" Legan raised his eyebrows in assumed surprise.

So he has a sense of humor, too!

Martin was choked by laughter when he saw the look that Candice White gave to the man of her choice.

"The best nurse…" the doctor said emphatically, "is, no doubt, Candy! By the way, that calls for a drink!"

But future Mrs. Legan was inexorable. The doctor never got to taste whiskey on that day.


	48. Chapter 48

"Good night, honey, sweet dreams," Neil gently kissed Candy on her soft lips.

She sighed when the man quitted hold of her hands.

"Now, go to bed, you! The sooner you fall asleep, the sooner we meet," the fiancé hurried her. Miss White nodded and ran upstairs.

Candy closed the door, changed to home clothes and lay on the bed. What a great day it had been! Everything went fine with doctor Martin, and now she had a job, too.

But her main thoughts were about the upcoming engagement and wedding. It was so sad to part every evening… She wanted to be with him, always, forever.

The girl's gaze landed on the white envelope of Mister Albert's letter that she hadn't answered yet. It wouldn't be good if she never wrote anything to him.

Miss White sat at the table, took a sheet of paper, put the pen in the inkstand and wrote:

 _Dear Mr. Albert,_

 _It is unpardonably of me to not have been writing to you for so long. It is not your fault, not at all. Love always brings only good and happy feelings. I love you very much, Mr. Albert._

 _You know, I am getting married. I will be very happy if you could visit our wedding on September 19. I am looking forward to seeing you! Our relationships have been tried and tested by time and by different events, and I sincerely hope we will always remain close to each other._

 _Yours,_

 _Candy_

Candy sealed the envelope. Maybe a little too dry, but she had written it with all her heart. She would really be happy to see him on that joyful day. Not only him, but everybody. Even Eliza.

She would soon become wife!

The girl put on a night-gown and switched off the lights. She wrapped herself in the blanket, but couldn't fall asleep.

The expectation of the happy day that was about to come swept over her, and she hugged her pillow. Soon!

Was she actually going to be happy? She had always thought she had to wait, earn it, let it go, try a little harder… But now, she was going to be with her beloved man very soon! She really couldn't believe it. Getting married was simple, nothing stood in the way. And she had found a job. And she had found support at Pony's Home…

Candy put her arm under the pillow and took the handkerchief that Neil had given to her. It smelled of his cologne, but to Miss White it smelled of Neil.

The girl had taken this handkerchief so many times in her hands that she could easily find the inscription "D. Legan" in the darkness.

Daniel Legan! Oh, Daniel! He had wished her good night, but she couldn't fall asleep. Her dreams had been quite restless recently.

Soon they would spend the night together.

When Candy thought about it, she would always go hot and cold.

Why was it like that? How was it going to be?

The girl had seen naked men, she was a nurse, after all. She had bandaged them, she knew what was going to happen physiologically.

But those men were her patients, she hadn't thought of them the way she thought about… _him_.

Dear God!

Her fantasy broke at the picture of him kissing her and unfastening her wedding dress… She just couldn't think of the rest.

But the mere thought of them spending the night together was insanely tempting. Frightening, but exciting. And she had this feeling in the lower part of her stomach, spreading around the cells of her body…

She wanted to be with him, to become one…

Candy buried her face in the pillow. How could she sleep if her heart was pounding so hard?

She would touch his naked chest…

Good thing no one could read her mind! No one should ever know about it…


	49. Chapter 49

Candy was standing in front of the Andrew mansion. The girl looked quite seemly – her humble yellow dress was ironed, her hair combed back and clasped. She had to look like a model lady, for she was going to meet Madam Elroy!

"God help me," Miss White went upstairs and addressed the servants standing at the door.

"Could you please see me to Madam Elroy?"

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes. I mean, no. Tell her Candy has come. Candice White… Andrew."

Having heard the last word, the servant motioned her to come in, and Candy followed him.

She felt very tiny among those portraits, libraries, rooms and halls…

But she had to speak to Madam Elroy! She was doing the right thing, she could feel it in her heart.

The girl sat in the armchair, waiting to be invited. She didn't have to wait long – as soon as the servant said Candy had come, Aunt Elroy instantly invited her in.

The old woman was sitting in a huge armchair, like a throne, her eyes slightly closed, as though she hadn't noticed the girl. But Candy knew that the old lady saw and heard everything.

"Hello, Madam Elroy," uttered Candy.

"Hello," the old woman nodded.

The girl had expected that the right words would come to her mind when she saw Aunt Elroy, but now she had nothing to tell her. Candy was taking deep breaths, but everything that occurred to her mind was wrong and stupid.

Emilia Elroy, in turn, couldn't find proper words or sounds; she thought her strength was failing her. But finally, she found the way out.

"Sit down, Candice," the old woman said. "Let's drink some tea."

Her wrinkled hand pulled the bell string, and a servant entered the room.

"Bring us some tea, Rosa. Come on, take a seat," Madam Elroy repeated.

Candy obediently sat into the armchair and instantly felt more comfortable.

"What a strange fantasy it is – to live in the middle of nowhere," Emilia began talking. "Yes, I understand, you do have reason to move away from me. But, as custom has it, Andrew and Legan families have always lived close to each other, and such custom is not to be broken. What will people say? Do I look like a monster, if you run away from me to another state?"

As the old lady spoke, she became more and more worried, until she finally stopped short and put a scarf to her lips, her hands trembling. It was not the way she had wanted to say it! She seemed to be accusing this Candy, the girl would just get angry and–

Candy impulsively leant forward and touched the old woman's hand.

"Don't say that, Madam Elroy! We must have been too hasty. If you don't mind it, we will sure be living all together. As one big family."

Emilia looked up incredulously at the smiling freckled face. So simple?

"Besides, someone has to raise your children. I highly doubt that you will be able to cultivate even the most basic proprieties in them," murmured Madam Elroy, trying to speak dryly and peevishly.

Miss White laughed.

"Our kids will be in safe hands!"

Then they kept silent for a while.

Aunt Elroy took Candy's hand and spoke, looking somewhere in the distance.

"You know, I miss children's laughter and children's mischief… I miss them so much. This house looks like a crypt without children. Oh, how these little brats loved me – Antony, Stear and Archie! What a marvelous time it was! Eliza and Neil would often come, too. And now…" The old lady's eyes glistened treacherously, but she quickly pulled herself together and cleared her throat.

"Now go. My head is starting to ache because of you."

"Goodbye, Aunt Elroy."

"Go, go."

The girl went out, and Emilia Elroy hid her face in her hands. But her heart was light. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren would live with her now, and soon she would take a warm squirming body in her arms and hear a happy laughter.


	50. Chapter 50

Candy's heart was light, too. Poor Aunt Elroy, thought Candy. She is suffering from loneliness so much, but she is too proud to be open to people.

When the girl grew up, she began to understand those who didn't like her in childhood. She used to think of Madam Elroy as an unsociable vixen, but now she could feel her pain and loneliness.

"She likes to sit alone, like an old crow," Neil said once, but Stear, Archie and Antony all said the same. And Aunt Elroy loved them as much as she could. In her world, good manners, knowledge and family's honor were the most important things in life.

Miss White was going downstairs when she suddenly saw the person she had also wanted to talk to – Mrs. Legan, Neil's mother.

"Mrs. Legan!" Candy called. The elegant woman turned around.

"Candy," whispered Sarah Legan.

The girl came up to her and froze in unintentional admiration in front of this perfection.

Mrs. Legan! When Candy had seen her for the first time, she had thought this woman was an example of a true lady. Beautiful, slender, her hair always combed, always wearing elegant dresses…

In her childhood, Candy wanted to imitate her, but then she realized Mrs. Legan would never become her mother. "You are not our daughter, Candy, are you?" this beautiful and cruel woman once said…

Then Candy became disenchanted with her. She was not ideal, she was just a person. Maybe even not the kindest and fairest one…

But now the girl was looking at her differently. She was looking at the mother of the person she loved.

She had given birth to him, and in her facial features – her eyes, her smile, her gestures – Candy could guess the similarity with her beloved person. At least for this could Candy feel a wave of tenderness towards her.

"You… you're so beautiful today, Mrs. Legan!" the girl exclaimed childishly.

But Sarah only sighed and tightened her lips. Candy's ingeniousness had always irritated her very much.

"Thanks," she replied dryly. "Did you want something from me?"

"Yes," Miss White answered under the squinted brown eyes. "I… I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" the lady raised her eyebrows.

Candy felt like a little girl, who hadn't pleased her stepparents. Again, she didn't know what tosay. Apologize. "You must apologize, Candy…"

The girl stood silently, and then suddenly, as if she had remembered something, Mrs. Legan said in a completely different tone:

"Come on, let's go sit in the blue hall."

Then she smiled and motioned to follow her. Candy obeyed, trying to remember the words she had thought about in the morning…

They were sitting in front of each other at a small table with the cups filled with aromatic tea. The blue hall was very beautiful – the furniture and the decorations were blue and made in the same style.

"We should have told you about our engagement before we announced it," said Candy.

"Neil makes decisions on his own. He is a grown-up man, a businessman. He has decided on the wedding on his own, as well," Sarah said without any emotions, but Candy could feel slight sadness and concern in her voice.

"You… you don't like his choice, do you?" she asked quietly.

The emotions that Mrs. Legan had been hiding so carefully finally came over her. She looked Candy in the eye with a long and scrutinizing gaze, then stood up and came up to the window.

"Don't know why you need all this," the lady said quietly. "You don't love him."

"I…"

"Hold on. When you were to get your inheritance, you denied it, didn't you? Then it's not about the money, because you would have been rich anyway. Why then?"

"Mrs. Legan, I do love him!"

The emotion in the girl's voice made Sarah turn around.

"You do? You said you hate him, you said it yourself in front of the whole family!"

Candy stood up and came up to Mrs. Legan.

"Yes, I hated him then," Miss White looked down. "But now I love him."

"Sounds like a woman's novel," Sarah smirked.

"Still, that is true," Candy replied firmly.

"And what happened that made you change your mind?"

The girl looked into Mrs. Legan's eyes, so much like Neil's. She realized Sarah wasn't waiting for a formal answer, but instead, she feared lest her son should be unhappy.

It must have been a great shock and humiliation for Neil's mother when Candy had rejected his proposal. Like all mothers in the world, she had thought of her son as the best, the most handsome, the most brilliant and so on and so forth, and suddenly he got rejected in public… And now he wanted to marry this girl again.

Insult and anxiety for her child were hiding behind Sarah's cruel words.

Candy smiled.

"How can you not love him?" she asked.

"What" Sarah didn't understand.

"I mean, not you, but generally, how can someone not love him? He is so handsome, so smart and funny. I can feast my eyes on him forever, like a painting."

The girl missed her fiancé very much, and, having imagined his face, admiringly listed all his merits – the actual ones and those only visible to her amorous eyes.

"He has an infectious smile, and he is a great driver…"

"That's true! And this Archie is always complaining about Neil, although he himself drives worse," Mrs. Legan suddenly supported her and sighed: "Oh! When he was a little boy, he was so sweet!" The lady looked in the window, but it seemed that she was looking somewhere far away. "You'll understand it one day. When your child has grown up and doesn't need your advice any longer."

"Why?" Candy argued heartedly. "A person always needs mother's advice!"

"Oh, come on, if I stay here and you go to Florida, what kind of advice would you need?" Mrs. Legan's lips shivered. "If I'm going to see him only on big holidays."

"We've decided to live here."

"You… you've decided to live here?"

"Yes, we thought it would be better."

The elegant lady blinked several times, not believing her ears.

"Mrs. Legan," Candy whispered. "Wish us happiness… Please."

The girl was talking so sincerely, that Sarah believed her. She was doing her best to keep her self-control and not burst into tears.

"Well, of course I wish you happiness. This is exactly what I told Neil," she said in a flat voice.

But her cold eyes had become warmer…


	51. Chapter 51

Yet another time Candy was going downstairs when she suddenly heard a hushed quarrel.

"It's the only god-damn time in all my life that I've asked you to do me a favor that would cost you nothing, and you refuse?"

It was Neil's voice. He was almost hissing, barely suppressing his anger.

"Come on, go on. I see through you, I know all your tricks," Archie answered him in a whisper. It was strange – Archie had always been more hot-tempered than Neil, but now he was talking in a perfectly calm manner, as though he was in control of the situation.

The girl went two steps down.

"You will not deceive me, like you deceived Candy, you got it? You can stop showing off in front of me, 'cause I've known you for a long time, unfortunately. Make up with Candy, that's quite a request from Neil Legan! What next? Wanna help the poor? It isn't even funny. But don't worry, I already wrote to Albert, soon everything will be great. He will come here and cancel this crazy wedding. Everything will fall into place, and Candy will finally tell us how've been blackmailing her."

"You did what?!"

"You heard it! I wrote to Mis–"

"Stop it!"

Miss White showed up right on time, because the men had already gripped each other's collars, as though trying to choke each other.

"Stop it!" the girl asked again and, to Archie's resentment, softly put her hand on Neil's forearm, and he unclasped his hands. Damn it! Cornwell quit hold of Legan's collar, too, and his arms drooped.

"What are you doing here?" Legan got worried. "Why did you come?"

"I came to talk to Madam Elroy and your Mom," Archie saw Candy give such a sweet smile to this insect, and it was so repulsive that he looked away.

Then her radiant eyes looked at him, and Cornwell sighed.

"Archie…" the girl whispered softly.

Legan, in turn, was looking at his cousin like a bitterest enemy. Perhaps, he _was_ one at that moment.

"Candy, I don't know what's going on, but trust me – I'll get you out of this madness," Archie wouldn't surrender and looked steadily in his friend's green eyes. "I won't let you ruin your life just for nothing. I wrote to Mister Albert, he will come soon. He is the only one who can handle this scoundrel."

Candy blinked, and her fiancé took her by the elbow.

"Let's go."

The girl obediently put her hand in Neil's hand. They walked towards the exit, and Legan turned away.

"You're a jerk, cousin. A jerk."

"Spare such words for your brothels!" Archie shouted back.

All right, that's okay. He just has to wait. Soon William Andree will come and put an end to this.

This scumbag has clearly done something to Candy. Something that made her pretend so realistically that she loves him. Only a person like Albert can figure this all out.

Candy will be grateful to him for saving her from this pipsqueak's claws.

The lovers were at their favorite place – sitting on the bench under a branchy tree in the Chicago National Park, overlooking the lake. Candy was crying bitterly, wiping her face with a handkerchief, and Neil was hugging her by the shoulders.

"Please, calm down," he tried to console her."The hell with him. Don't listen to him."

"Don't… say it…" the girl sobbed. "It's not his fault. He doesn't believe… What can I do to make him believe? I wanted my friends… to be with me on this day… to be happy for me! I wanted it so much…"

"Well, you can't knock some brains into his head… So we'll have to make do."

Miss White took a deep breath so calm down.

"Maybe we really should've married secretly, and then tell everyone?"

"That wouldn't change much. I told you we should go to Florida. Start a new life, all by ourselves."

"But I've got a job here."

"Anyway, they'll have to accept the fact that we're together. Why the hell do they keep meddling in our business? We have informed them, our job here is done."

Candy hugged Neil, feeling the warmth of his body. He hugged her even closer, and the girl's heart beat faster. She instinctively reached her hand and touched his chest, where, under a thin silken shirt…

"Let's go," Daniel suddenly started up. "I'll drive you home."

The girl looked at him inquiringly, but Neil's face was impenetrable.

"Will you at least kiss me goodbye?"

If she had only known her power over him.

"Of course."

Neil carefully took his fiancée by the shoulders and pecked her on the nose.

"Don't tempt me ahead of time."

They were driving along the evening streets, and the air was filled with silence and tranquility.

Then Candy and Neil were standing at Miss White's door, again, not able to part. Daniel frowned, as if he wanted to say something, but was unsure about it.

"What's wrong?" Candy asked, always sensitive to other people's mood.

"I thought… Maybe you shouldn't put on a green dress for our engagement?"

"Why?!"

"The seller said the green color brings bad luck."

"That's nonsense!" Miss White looked in her fiancé's face, amazed at his seriousness, and uttered a laugh. "Cut it out! Since when have you become so superstitious?"

He cast down his eyes.

"I don't even know. I guess, since I became happy. I don't believe in my happiness. Somehow I've got a feeling everything's going to end soon. Any trifle could ruin it. I've always been self-confident, but now even the color of the dress scares me…"

Neil hugged his lover even closer, as if she was slipping away.

"You're being so silly…" the girl whispered. "And what color do you think brings happiness?"

"Let me think. Maybe yellow, or pink."

"Then tomorrow we'll have the dress redone to pink. Just to be on the safe side."


	52. Chapter 52

"No, I don't like this one either," Mrs. Legan delivered her verdict. "Too many laces."

Candy sighed and took off a tenth dress. So tiresome!

On that morning the girl was surprised to discover that Neil's mom had come to her to help her choose the dress. Whether Daniel had asked her to do it or she came by herself was still a mystery to Candy.

Choosing the dress with Neil was not easy, but it was only small beer compared to Mrs. Legan.

As for the green dress that had scared her son so much, Sarah totally pulled it to pieces. She didn't like neither the color, nor the model or the fact that it was "humble", according to Neil.

"In this dress you look like schoolgirl, and this is engagement, after all," the lady winced. "Never let a man choose your garment."

Mrs. Legan wanted her future daughter-in-law to wear something "elegant, but impressive" – for what it's worth, she had begun to realize that it would be the engagement of her only son!

"You must look stunning. The newspapers will write about it, they will take photos of you. We've got to nail these scribblers, since they might be asking about your previous engagement."

Candy looked down.

"Never mind, let the mask," continued Sarah while choosing another dress. "If you look elegant and carry yourself with dignity, they'll just have nothing to say."

She held out the dress to the girl.

"This is the one we need."

With the help of shop workers, Miss White robed into a fairytale garment.

A rich, dark pink color of the dress emphasized the freshness of the girl's face and the gold of her rebel hair. The skirt dropped with soft waves, and the bride's silhouette seemed aethereal and aeriform.

"Great! We'll take it," Mrs. Legan commanded.

Candy sadly began to take off her future garment. Despite her tiredness, this dress inspired her so much! She would look like a fairytale princess. And besides, Neil hadn't seen this dress yet…

"Thank you, Mrs. Legan!"

After that, they were sitting in a café, tired of all the try-ons. Sarah was writing down various little details about the engagement to her notebook.

"Of course he thinks he can handle everything by himself, but… he forgot to order flowers to the living room, to send an invitation to Mrs. Murray and, of course, he forgot about his old cousin Calton…"

"We actually wanted to get married alone at first," Candy giggled.

Mrs. Legan raised her eyebrows. Her face looked so much like Neil's when he was surprised at something.

"My goodness," she murmured. "Thank God you changed your mind. And Candy… you've got to do something about your hands."

"My hands?" the girl asked.

"Yes," Neil's mother replied. "Your hands."

The girl looked cautiously at them.

"What's wrong with my hands?"

Mrs. Legan sighed.

"This might be not very tactful of me to say such things, but we'll have to take care of them. And I'll hire a housemaid so that you don't do anything with your hands before the engagement."

"Mrs. Legan, that's not necessary. I want to remain myself."

"But you'll be in the spotlight! They will take photos of you. What will people say if they see your hands while Neil would be putting on the ring–"

"My hands might not be perfect, but if they see my happy eyes, they'll understand everything," the girl replied simply.

Later that day the girl was lying on her bed dreaming about the engagement. It's almost there!

She would be wearing a fairytale dress, dancing with her darling… The glow of admiration in his eyes… His hands on her waist… His smile and his scent…

There was a knock at thedoor – mail.

It was a letter from Patty! Candy impatiently broke the envelope.

 _Hi, Candy!_

 _I'm really-really happy for you, my dear friend! Unfortunately, I can't come to your engagement, but I'll be there in a week, and we'll pick the most beautiful dress for you! You haven't chosen the dress yet, have you?_

 _I want to hug you so much! Hug you and chat with you! I bought a ticket right after I got the letter! Nanny Martha sends you her love and says she'll definitely visit your wedding!_

 _I've got so many words to tell you, but I think I'll save them for our meeting! I wish you to be the happiest bride ever!_

 _See you soon!_

 _Yours,_

 _Patty_

Miss White dashed away a tear and kissed the letter. Sweet, kind, tactful Patty! Not a single word saying she doubts her choice, she sincerely wishes her happiness and wants to come! Even if she did have some doubts, she decided to see Candy in person to make sure everything's okay! And not a single accusation towards Neil.

Sweet, sweet Patty! Candy wanted to see her so much!


	53. Chapter 53

'Miss Annie, you have a visitor,' a maid peered into the room.

This is probably Archie!

The parents were not at home, but Miss Brighton was still dressed like for a greeting. Because her light-headed sweetheart could come in any minute!

Opening the door, the girl was surprised to see that it was not Archie had come to her. Self-confident pose, arrogant face, eyebrows shifted to the bridge of the nose … Neil Legan!

'Hi.' he threw, a little straightened in the chair, but still sitting in quite cheeky manner.

'Hi.' Annie answered quietly, feeling that the heart has shrunk from flutter. She was afraid of this man. What does he need?!

'Come closer, why are you standing there,' Neil gave an order. 'I want to talk to you.'

Miss Brighton approached gingerly and sat on the opposite chair, looking at the visitor as at a wild animal. She rarely stayed alone with this man, and every time she felt jittery because of his expressions and tricks.

He always could easily say something disgusting. Always laughed at her and Candy's origin. And even that he gave her advice on how to make Archie jealous … No, being alone with him was just awful.

'I want to ask,' Neil began to speak, 'what the hell don't you make it up with Candy?'

Annie blinked several times before realizing that he had used the abusive word.

'Of course, I understand everything,' Legan continued. 'She offended you and all that. But, maybe, you need to be merciful and meet her halfway? She soon has a wedding, she worries. After all, you're friends, you grew up together in the Pony House. So what now? Is she has to be hung on the nearest bough like a criminal, because of her words?'

'But I… I…' Miss Brighton murmured, feeling that she was going to cry.

'I have already realized that it's useless to talk to my cousin, he persists for no reason. And wrote something to Albert … But can you be smarter? Why did not you meet with her? Don't you really care about her?'

'But no, I just…' Annie felt tears flowing down her cheeks. 'I just did not think that she was so upset … And I really…'

'Do not approve of her choice?' Neil finished for her and stood up.

How irritating these glasshouse girls are, these indoor flowers! These tears for any reason … He did not say anything like that, and she already made a scene.

Legan walked around the room, hoping that Annie would stop crying, and, when the sobs subsided, he said as gently as possible.

'Annie, just talk to Candy. She is really upset.'

The Lord is a witness - he behaves like a saint!

Miss Brighton wiped her tears with a handkerchief.

'Why do you need it? This performance. Candy had already agreed to marry you. I do not know what you did with her …'

It turns out that she is a damned wretch. Neal sighed.

'So will you meet with Candy or not? And anyway, what the hell do you think that I had to «do» something, as you've just said, with a woman to accept my proposal?!' He exploded. 'Most of the familiar girls from very decent families would like to see me as their husband voluntarily!'

'Yes, it's true, but you always scoffed at her.'

'It was in childhood and early adolescence. In the end, we are already adults. Or are you, for example, still sleeping with a night light next to your bed?'

'Sometimes yes.'

The man shrugged his shoulders and sat in the armchair.

'It's only your feature. So will you meet with Candy or not, I ask one more time?'

'I will,' Annie hardly found the courage to look in the face of this man.

'Great,' he stood up. 'Yes, there is another thing. Let this our conversation remain a little secret for Candy.'

'But…'

'Be quiet, understand? Pretend that this is your own idea. Good luck.'

Miss Brighton looked at the closed door for a few seconds. What does he need? Why does he ask to make peace with Candy? He obviously plots something.

Annie really wanted to meet with her friend and talk to her, but delaying this. And it was doubly unpleasant that this type practically makes her make peace with Candy. But now she could not delay meeting with her, because she knew that then this terrible Neil would come to her again and start screaming and threatening …

Still strange. What did Candy find in him? And he? Why would he need Candy? But marriage… It's not just a trap or a trick. He risks his fate too… Unclear…


	54. Chapter 54

The engagement day was rapidly approaching, and now its eve came. Endless clothes fitting quite exhausting Candy, but there was a reward after this torture – she had a ride with Mrs. Legan, or she went to the Neil's office or to the Legan's mansion, where they all had dinner and talked together.

Several times Miss White saw Elisa, who at the first such almost family meeting announced that she had also been offered, and she would soon be married too.

During few dinners with the future Mrs. Rochester Candy was just listening about how gorgeous Elisa's engagement and wedding dresses are, and that she will invite only famous people to her party, not «motley horde».

Neil sent grumpy glances to his sister and slipped cutting remarks, and Candy laughed under her breath. Of course, Elisa, as usual, tried to make her envy and feel her own imperfection, but she did not care at all. She was happy and the fact that the dress of the future sister-in-law would be more expensive could not affect this beautiful and blissful state anyway.

Soon, she and Neal will completely belong to each other, and all the other little things and paraphernalia are just scenery for their main action.

Minutes and hours lasted so long and so painfully, and the girl even started a special calendar, where she marked the tomorrow day and the day of the wedding with a circle.

Very soon!

Does it really make any difference what earrings will be in her ears? What necklace will be on her neck? Is this the main thing?

Candy put her hand down and Neil squeezed her palm. She felt the electric charges running down her body, and her heart was pounding. They were sitting at the table, holding hands, like all lovers, naively imagining that no one saw their little caresses.

Elisa was talking about something again, and Miss White looked at her watch. The evening is approaching, and in the morning Legan's carriage will arrive in her rented apartment and pick her up. Not forever yet, but in two months she will move and will always be with her husband …

Is it really happening?

… The sun set, the shadows fell. Candy was lying on the bed, imagining the next day.

The feeling of happiness rolled like sea waves on the shore, it became difficult for her to breathe, then, on the contrary, it seemed to be easy, she wanted to laugh, jump, dance. Neil held her in his arms at parting, not letting go, and whispered in her ear, "I love, love ...", probably a million times. What a wonderful life! What a beautiful world!

Is it possible that already tomorrow, they will become closer to each other? They will be able to spend more time together. The feeling that her life will soon change completely, and she yearns for this, has covered Miss White. .. Soon they will build their life together.

Like every bride, Candy felt pleasant and simultaneously frightening excitement at the crossroads of her life – life of a free girl and future wife. What they will experience together? If they will be happy?

She wanted to hug Neil and feel his warmth, her body and soul yearned for her beloved.

Despite the fact that Mrs. Legan urged her to get a good night's sleep, the girl knew that she could not fall asleep.

Why the time passes so long!

There was a knock at the door.

Candy jumped on the bed. Neil! Probably, he forgot to tell her something. The girl started to flounce around the room convulsively. It's good that she did not undress! Well! Hair … Hair look nice. But it would be good to bandage the hair with a ribbon. Oh… The dress has crumpled … What to do!

The knock was repeated.

'Candy, it's me!' there was a quiet Annie's voice.

'Annie?... Wait, wait,' Miss White breathed freely – her beloved did not see her in a crumpled dress, but at the same time her sigh was full of regret – she wanted to see him so much and was already looking forward to another unexpected meeting.

The friend came into the flat and immediately embraced Candy.

Miss Brighton felt that if she did not do it at once, then she would not be able to. She came, because it was necessary, she still decided to make peace with her friend before the engagement and come to the party.

A good, kind and wonderful girl would do the same. Moreover, Patty will not understand her, if she does not make up with Candy. And Archie is going to be there.

She felt lonely without Candy. It didn't matter what she thought. No matter that she felt jealous about Archi, she had strong affection towards her childhood friend. The days when they did not talk to each other seemed to be an eternity to her.

In the depth of her soul she didn't have desire to apologize, so what? Sometimes you have to force yourself.

Miss Brighton felt Candy crying and starts to cry to. She said almost sincerely:

'I wish you only happiness, Candy. Forgive me, I'm sorry.'

'Come on, Annie,' the happy bride whispered. 'I'm sorry. I just did not say anything, and then I'm waiting for you to understand everything... And I'm very, very happy.'

'You will be the most beautiful tomorrow.'

'Annie, I'm so glad, I'm so happy that you have come!'

Candy offered a cup of tea and a chat, but Annie hurried home.

'You should sleep well,' she said severely. 'You should be the most charming bride tomorrow!'

The friend left so quickly that Miss White did not even have time to ask her about Archie? And is he going to come?...

… Archibald Cornwell was sitting on the bed and blindly looking out of the dark window. Tomorrow. Tomorrow Candy will be engaged to ... Neil. Archie did not waste time and made inquiries, and the information was very surprising to him – apparently, Legan really gave up all his whores.

Maybe one of the "butterflies" remained out of the Cornwell's sight, but this doesn't make difference, all looks as if this type is really going to get married.

These girls told him "confidentially" that Neil threatened them with terrible punishments, if they suddenly, at least in some innocent way, let the young wife to know about themselves and that he is mad about her.

It was strange. This means that the cousin is quite serious, even though his mother goes to the fittings with Candy, and Elisa, although she boasts about her fiancé, but obviously does not harm Candy.

It's incomprehensible. Of course, maybe Neil has some poor feelings for Candy that he has taken as love. Lust has devoured him, and he can get what he wants only after the wedding, but why should he change his life so much?

Maybe he really fell in love. It's impossible not to love Candy! But why she has chosen him? Yes, let it be, he has a nice appearance (although Archie does not think so), but Candy knows how vile and evil he is! After all, that bigheaded Granchester at least was not a scoundrel …

The man took his head in his hands. What can he do?... Okay. He still has two months to find out. He will come tomorrow. Look at them together. And if he sees at least some falsehood – he will save Miss White, whether she wants this or not. Hurry would have come Mr. Albert!

He wondered if Annie would come. He still has not seen her. Did she find someone? She always appears well-dressed as for a party. What's wrong with the life, what happens?!

And what was the most difficult, young Cornwell could not understand what he felt. Does he love Annie or still Candy? Does he really feel jealous about Annie?

But he is jealous many times stronger about Candy and Neil…


	55. Chapter 55

And then this warm sunny mid-august morning came, when the summer generously gives its harvest, the flowers are replaced by berries, and the sun gives its soft warmth to all living on the earth.

Andrew's family members began to move into the mansion of the family head near Chicago – today is the day of the engagement of the Andrew's family relative - Daniel Legan.

The tables were set in the mansion, flowers were everywhere, and it seemed that the main hall was flooded with flowers.

Servants did very well – dishes were polished, and the crystal chandelier under the ceiling was poured with all the rainbow colours.

Little tables were placed in the garden of the mansion that guests could sit in the fresh air. Also, space was cleaned for dancing in the open air.

Cooks worked in the kitchen all the previous day and night - it was necessary to prepare everything properly. Snacks and salads were prepared last of all to be fresh. There was a wonderful smell of baking – there should be children at the party, and it was necessary to please small guests too.

Madame Elroy gave the last orders, and sometimes Sarah Legan went down to help with organization by giving advises.

«Anyway, it could not be worse than the last engagement», - for some reason, this idea was in the head of the Neil's mother, and she started to get even more nervous because of those terrible memories.

Candy, who was in one of the rooms on the second floor, struggled to keep herself from doing anything. It was so hard to do nothing and just "be beautiful".

She had that fabulous dress, pink colour favourably shaded her white skin and soft blush of her cheeks, narrow bodice emphasized her figure, and a fluffy skirt streamed along the body, making the girl look like a fairy-tale nymph

The bodice of the dress and the skirt were embroidered with half-blown buds of roses, which were decorated with small diamonds that glittered in the sun that it seemed that the dew drops were trembling on the dress.

The girl approached to the window to see what was happening there, when Mrs. Legan suddenly called her.

'Hey!' the woman flounced to the window like a bullet out of a gun, and drew the curtains with one sharp movement. 'They should not see you ahead of time, and your hair is not brushed yet.'

Candy obediently sat on the edge of the chair to keep the dress not crumpled.

'Oh, God…' she sighed. 'How many rules. And can I go to Neil?'

'Of course not. He is dressing, it's indecent.'

Candy suddenly felt fever because of these words, and turned away a little so that Mrs. Legan would not notice how her cheeks were burning.

'And he will be in time? He will find me?' the bride became worried.

'He is more than anyone interested in making everything go as it should,' Sarah smiled and rang the bell.

In less than a minute a French hairdresser, who was specially hired by Andrew, entered the room.

Miss White was seated in front of a mirror, and Paul began to do magic with her hair, holding hairpins in his lips, barrettes and various other things.

Candy was blindly looking in the mirror. This is a special day! But all this fuss made her feel tired, she did not like that she could not see her beloved, and, how it turned out, they were strictly forbidden to kiss on that day or show tenderness and love to each other, and they just had to be together and take gifts.

Why it's impossible to be free from all this stuff? Just be themselves …

But on the other hand, the girl understood that it was so necessary. It was necessary, because otherwise it would have to explain to everyone that they are together and this is serious, and this is not blackmail or anything else, and that now it is necessary to take them as a couple. And that if Neil is going somewhere, she goes with him, and if she is, then he goes with her. This will always be like this.

And she could suffer these rules, tricks and these hairpins, which prick the head, for one day.

'Ah!' Miss White could not restrain herself and scratched her head, disturbing the Paul's work of art.

Paul lashed out in French and began to correct the damage.

But when they will officially be a bride and a groom, they can always be together!

Candy struggled not to think about how to behave at the Archie's betrothal, and what he wrote to Mr. Albert. She will not think and that's all. Today she will enjoy THEIR with Neil day!

At least there will be dancing! And during the dance, they will hug each other …

The girl once again looked in the mirror – and she saw a stranger of such unearth beauty that her look made to take breath away. Highly lifted hair was falling on cheeks and shoulders with cascade of curls, a white rose, fastened with a stud with a diamond, served as an elegant decoration of the masterpiece. The neck sparkled with a diamond necklace.

'Is this me?' Candy thought. 'The orphan from the orphanage, which was left under a tree? Oh, I wish my mom and dad saw me now, enamoured and happy! Wish they knew that I'm fine and I'm alive, have beloved person, job, friends! That I'm living and every day thank God for what these days give me! I wish my parents saw me now and I would like to say them «thank you» for this miracle – the life they had given to me!'

'Candy, you're gorgeous!' the girl turned around, and was surprised to see that these words were uttered by Mrs. Legan. Candy still feared her a little.

'Thank you, Mrs. Legan!' Miss White touched the necklace. 'Thanks for all.'

'Not worth it,' the woman took Candy's hand. 'Let's go, we are already waiting.'

They began to descend the stairs. Since Candy was an orphan, then, - after the consultation with Madame Elroy, - Sarah Legan brought her to Neil, who descended the opposite staircase.

Candy put her palm into Neil's hand, his fingers squeezed, and suddenly she felt shyness. Eyelashes faltered and the girl looked up to see his eyes.

Daniel looked really amazing – always pedantic in the choice of clothes, today, on the day of his triumph, he looked like a fairy-tale prince. He had a snow-white suit that sat perfectly on his riding-strolled body, his face covered with an even tan was handsomely shaded with white colour. The neckerchief was tied so cleverly that no London dandy would find the slightest inaccuracy in the image of an American high society representative.

The dark eyes flashed with admiration, when Daniel saw his bride, he hardly resisted the cry.

Candy - his pipe dream, his yearning and pain - so alive, so bright and so …. HIS! Glittering like a million little stars, a fairy in a pink dress came down to him and gave her hand to him …

They went down the stairs when Neal whispered hoarsely:

'You look nice…'

The girl smiled, feeling an increasing joyful excitement, realizing, with some special feminine instinct, that her beloved was blinded by her beauty and only masks his admiration with reserved words and, in turn, looking at his face, his cheeks, eyebrows, lips, Candy whispered:

'You are very, very handsome!'


	56. Chapter 56

The official part of the engagement began and the guests were offered to take their seats.

Candy and Neil stood in the centre of the room, surrounded by tables that the invited Andrew's family members and other guests were sitting at. Madame Elroy and Legan couple approached them.

'Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for visit …'

'Thank you!' one of the children screamed, and Emily coughed.

'…Ghm, that you honoured us by visiting our house. It's a great pleasure for me to inform that this reception is arranged in honour of the engagement of Candice White and our relative - Daniel Legan.'

Madame Elroy was obviously nervous, because she did not know exactly how to declare an engagement, observing all the rules. Traditionally, the bride's parents or her guardian announced the engagement, but Candy refused to be related to the Andrew family, she could no longer be represented as an stepdaughter.

All these conflicts remained unresolved in the old woman's mind, but the musicians were already playing, and the guests began to approach the couple, congratulating them and presenting gifts.

With a sigh of relief, Madame Elroy moved to her seat of honour, when she suddenly heard giggle behind her:

'… second time! Yes-yes! The last time this orphan denied his proposal in the public eye, there was a scandal …'

Emilia called all her self-control not to turn around and not to speed up the step. Damn! Of course, she expected such discussions, but how humiliating is to hear them!

The bride and groom smiled and accepted gifts, which were immediately given to servants who carried them to a separate room. Candy felt like it was a dream, and only the presence of Neil next to her made her feel alive. What cold eyes all the relatives have! What fake smiles! The girl suddenly wanted to run away and hide somewhere from these tenacious looks, from this unkind attention.

At first, she thought she had misheard, but then she clearly heard the words and the laughter:

'…to be such an idiot. This orphan denied his proposal in front of the whole Andrew family, but this time, apparently, he managed to persuade her.'

'Probably, she is pregnant. After all, last time she had so clearly denied the engagement with Daniel!'

'Hahaha! We'll see. Groom-cuckold. But he looks happy…'

Candy turned around with horror, trying to see the owners of these nasty voices, she felt terrible shame and humiliation. Neil's eyes became dark and, although he smiled, his eyebrows moved to the bridge of his nose.

What a horrible thing!

Daniel put his hands on the bride's shoulders and slightly turned her towards him.

'Do not worry,' he said quietly the same words that were so often said about him and Elisa. 'Do not be afraid.'

Her wide open eyes, long eyelashes, her eyes in which you can drown. Ajar mouth. Damn it, who invented these stupid rules? After all, what's the difference, they are already being discussed.

Neil bent down and kissed Candy. They stood and kissed in public eye, the guests fell silent, and even the music abated. It seemed that the whole world was waiting for the lovers to enjoy each other.

When Neil finally lifted his head, he smiled.

'We are very happy! Thank you all!'

Some guests clapped their hands – it was Tom Steve and the children from the Pony House, as well as their educators, but most of the guests were shocked and kept silence. Mr. Legan also began to applaud, and at that moment, the musicians played again to hide the awkward pause.

The servants brought snacks and salads and began to serve the guests, who were eager to share their opinions about the bride and groom improper behaviour.

Some couples began to dance, and the betrothed couple followed their example. Photographers began to take pictures.

But it was impossible not to notice the lovers' glances that the groom and the bride sent to each other. It was so obvious and indisputable that it was impossible to deny. Every movement, every touch was full of tenderness lovers express their feelings to each other.

Their shining faces were expressing genuine interest to each other, their conversation when dancing, smiles, laughter, all that even the most cynical person dreams of in the depths of the soul.

Happy people are pleased to see a couple in love, but for those who are less fortunate, it's often suffering to see this.

Here they stand, embracing, waiting for the next dance, the bride says something enthusiastically to the groom, and he only looks into her eyes, not noticing anything around.

Here Candy, gently touching the young Legan's hand, carries him to the table, they pass food to each other, filling this process with some special meaning that is clear for them only, their smiles, their words they say to each other…

Archibald Cornwell shifted in his chair. He had not yet managed to come and congratulate the betrothed couple and, however, he did not feel a burning desire to do this.

Candy looked like a shining star, but not only diamonds on her neck and gown sparkled. Her eyes glittered when she looked at this ... this ... Neil. No, it was impossible to play that way, she really was in love.

The young man took a sip from the glass. Food and drink seemed tasteless, and the world around was black and white.

Legan whispered something into Candy's ear, and she laughed with her beautiful laugh that echoed with thousands of bells.

Yes, they are clearly in love with each other. It's clear about Neil, it's just impossible not to fall in love with Candy, but what did she find in this mummy's boy?

Did she forget all the wounds, all the insults caused by him and his sister?

Archie was looking at the couple who was having fun and winked, but his eyes saw the past, it was also the Andrew mansion many years ago.

The news that the maid became the Andrews stepdaughter enraged Legans - brother and sister, oh, how muny efforts they made, came up with various intrigues, and eventually Candy was taken to Mexico.

But now the girl stood in a beautiful dress, and next to her were her knights - Archie, Steer and Anthony.

Aunt Elroy did not want to listen to Neal's confession that Candy was not a thief, but still this slug could not escape, unlike his sister, and the retribution was supposed to happen.

They did not want anything bad - just to give this scoundrel a lesson, they wanted Neil to apologize to Candy in the way that himself came up with for her. To kneel.

And when the knees of this scrub were bent, She… interfered. She stopped them, she forgave him, she is a generous, kind Candy!

Yes, probably this was just the point - she never really remembered the evil, and she just forgot and forgave Neil for all he did to her. So it is useless to call her to her memory, prudence, wariness.

She, like a child, did not see the evil in this world, and she saw only the best features in any person. Even if they were not there.

Neil has never been an enemy to her, and when he pay his attention to her, she surrendered. Women like scoundrels and insistent men types.

But how to stop her?!


	57. Chapter 57

'You look, as if the end of the world has come,' a quiet voice on the left said. Archie turned around – he did not even notice that Annie Brighton sat down on the empty chair to his left.

Her blue eyes were sad.

'Do you love her?' she said even quieter.

The young man looked down and turned the glass in his hands.

'Yes, I do. Undoubtedly, I love her as…Candy, our Candy. I don't know if I love her as a woman…'

Annie was looking at her beloved, at his beautiful face, at his golden-brown hair, which fell softly over his face, into his brown eyes, so different when he was happy, sad or indignant…

'You know, it's all over between us,' she whispered, 'Even if there was something. Now, when I have seen how you look at her, I realized that I could ever fall out of love with you.'

'Annie…'

'No, let me speak. I don'r care if someone hears. This is our last conversation.'

The girl cover his hand with hers, and young Cornwell shuddered.

'You know, I just played real life. Concerts, receptions ... my love to you. And Candy lived at this time. She left the St. Paul college, she chose her own way of life, she became a nurse, she even worked in the mountains. She even managed to break up with Terry, although they both were in loved with each other. I would not be able to do this. Candy goes through the life boldly, choosing her own way that she thinks is right. And I'm afraid of everything. I'm afraid of one thing, I'm afraid of another, but in the end ... I'm alone. '

'Alone? Do not make me laugh, you always have dates…'

'Enough!' the brunette waved her hand in exasperation. 'I have no one and you probably know this. I tried to make you jealous, and, in the end, it was unsuccessfully. I can not live, because I'm always afraid of everything. Only illusion! The illusion of love, the illusion of a busy life. I was fourteen when I realized that I was in love with you. I was afraid that it was not mutual affection. And what? I'm twenty-one, and we're not together. So much time is lost, so much time….' she covered her face with her hand, 'After all, if you then, at the college, told me that you like Candy more, yes, I would cry. For a day, two, maybe, for a year. But then I would have gone through it. I would meet a person with whom I would have a mutual feeling. I would at least find out what it is when you are beloved! But now… Six years of illusion without effect… Tell me, you found me in that cave by yourself?' she suddenly asked, after a little pause.

'In the cave? What a cave?'

'When you found me, at the college. When I cried, and you found me. Did you do it yourself?'

Blue eyes looked closely in the brown ones.

'By myself, Annie, I…'

'False. It's not true again' the girl said these words not in blaming, but in a sad tone. 'Archie, I do not need a lie. Anyway, nothing good will come of it.'

They were silent for a while.

'Have you noticed that when people love each other, they become so beautiful?' Miss Brighton looked at the betrothed couple, 'Even Neil, when he does not grin so disgustingly, he looks so sweet. And his eyes are not evil now… And Candy is just gorgeous.'

'I will never accept the fact that she chose this slug. Mr. Albert will be coming soon, and then…'

'You should not worry about Candy. As I said - she's not afraid to live. She is not afraid to love, not afraid to break up, not afraid to change. Are you so sure that he makes her to do this?' she grinned, 'Candy can not be made to do something.'

'But he…'

'What?' Annie asked crossly, 'Bad? And what, is it possible to love only good people? If it were so that you do everything right and you are loved. What about me, I'm good, I learned how to be a lady, I will be a good wife and perfect mother. And what? Did this help me?'

'Annie, you perceive all wrong…'

'No!' the girl even slapped her hand on the table, Archibald looked around - music played, and no one noticed this emotional gesture. 'I'm already tired of listening to this. Be silent, be patient, be polite, be tactful - and everything will be fine. Be good and you will be loved. Be good - and stepparents will choose you, be good - and you will have a husband! This is all lie, and I realized this. Candy sang out of tune at the orphanage when we were singing, Candy does not know how to cook and is not interested in dresses. And she is loved.'

'Do you envy?'

'I don't envy. I just did not understand. People love you not for dresses, not for pies and not for songs. They just love and that's all.'

'He will play with her and leave, will get a mistress…' Archie started.

'If he does, Candy will escape, divorce with him, or beat him, after all! She will not keep silent and suffer, as I do.'

Miss Brighton sighed.

'I'm sorry,' Archie said softly.

'I'm sorry too.'

She got up and left, a blue dress swam among the colourful group of guests and disappeared into the carriage.


	58. Chapter 58

… Candy went into the ladies' room to wash her hands and fix her hair, and suddenly heard muffled voices and laughter.

'…. I think he decided to marry her to take revenge! Yes-yes. You'll see, then they will divorce, this will be no less scandalous, than the very last engagement was. She disgraced him in public, and he ran away, choking with sobs!'

'Haha! Now it's her turn to cry. People say he had many mistresses! Many girls were real beauties. And this little fool, in my opinion, fell in love with Daniel. I wonder when she notices that he has not forgotten his actresses?'

'She will endure to the last. Her origin... She is an orphan.'

'It's an original idea to marry a street girl. These Legans only seem to be decent people…'

The bride covered her mouth with her hand not to scream, and left the room, moving back.

Candy pressed her back against the wall, tears running down her cheeks. For some reason she, who was always bold and fearless, now, after hearing these cruel words, felt helpless, as if she had been struck in the face when she laughed. All the joy disappeared, and there was some feeling of dirt, disgust... and anxiety.

Beautiful girls ... Graceful, worldly-wise in the art of love. Many of them behaved like real ladies. Neil is used to them, used to this bright appearance, courageous actions in relationships, flirting, chic, and refinement.

He is used to verbal duels, when a man and a woman do not talk just like that, and their conversation is full of hints, double-meaning phrases, passion.

Sooner or later he will get bored with her. At some point, the novelty of their feelings will go away, and the experienced man will see just a simple nurse before him…

'I won't. I won't think about it... Now…' the girl wiped her tears and smiled. 'He should notice nothing.'

She will think about it later. Not now.

Candy smiled and went back to the hall.

'Are you crying?' Daniel immediately asked when the girl sat next to him.

This question surprised her, because she was sure that she was smiling and her eyes were already dry.

Under the attentive gaze of the brown eyes, Candy often blinked and smiled again.

'Crying... No, why do you think so? Everything is fine.'

'Nothing is fine! Nothing is fine at all!' Neil got angry for some reason. 'Do not make me an idiot. What can be fine, if you cry ?! What happened?'

Miss White stared at the plate, trying not to burst into tears.

'Nothing.'

The groom took her hand, and they went out into the garden.

'So, what happened?' the man asked softly, and Candy burst into tears, covering her face with her hands.

'N-nothing…'

'Who upset you?'

'Nobody.'

Feeling the warmth when his hands were stroking her head, Candy gradually calmed down.

'That's all right,' she smiled cheerfully through her tears. 'I just heard Marie Ann and Rosa talking about me and you. About us.'

Neil frowned, but then his face became tricky.

'I know how to help you.'

'What?' Candy lifted her head and looked in his brown eyes, which seemed to be sparkled.

'There are two ways to solve this problem,' Neil explained. 'The first one is not to pay attention.'

Miss White sighed. Well, yes, not to pay attention. They are not worth it ... But it became sad.

'The second one is caterpillars,' Neil smiled.

'Caterpillars?' the girl asked again.

'Yes, caterpillars. Big caterpillars. Fat… Preferably, covered with little hairs'.

Candy again did not understand anything, and the young Legan took her hand and brought her deep into the garden.

White boots and white shoes cautiously walked along the path.

'Be careful not to bedraggle your dress,' the beloved instructed her, bringing her farther and looking around, so that the guests who went out into the garden did not see them. 'Several times I visited this estate when I was a child, and, as far as I remember, the caterpillars were excellent here. We need to check if something has changed over time.'

The girl still did not understand anything, but curiosity was stronger than the bad mood, and she was already smiling for real.

Finally, they stopped next to an unshapely looking bush.

'Here they are!' Neil broke off a branch. The sleek, sunburned hand, apparently by the usual movement, took an abominable insect and turned it in the fingers. The brown eyes glowed with admiration.

'Just have a look. Huge. Fat and hairy… This is an excellent caterpillar! If I were a caterpillar trader, I would sell them for ten dollars apiece!'

Candy began to understand what he was driving at, and panicked.

'Neil… But you don't think…'

He raised his eyebrows innocently.

'Do not you want to put them on Mary Anne's and Rose's belongings?'

'I really want.'

'But Neil! It's awful…'

'…nastily, and disgusting,' Daniel continued. 'Almost as much as making the bride cry at her own engagement. But still not the same.'

Legan quickly collected six caterpillars.

'Neil, but we can't… Neil, wait!'

The man held her with his free from the caterpillars hand and brought her to the guests.

'We can. Anyway, do not be such a wet blanket. I have not been so naughty for a long time.'

'They will be scared! They would feel bad!'

Candy tried to dissuade her beloved, but she felt that her arguments were useless. Moreover, she was surprised because she felt that she did not want to stop him. Miss White felt pangs of conscience.

'Neil, they did not say anything bad. I just took it to heart like a fool… Anyway, probably, they were talking not about me.'

Daniel neatly placed the insects on the summer cloaks of gossipy ladies.

'Let's go to. It will not be very good if we are caught right at the crime scene.'

This seemed to be fun to Candy, and she could not stand her from giggle.

'It's awful and dirtily,' she repeated.

Neil hugged her.

'...nastily, and disgusting…' the girl whispered until kisses interrupted her.


	59. Chapter 59

The bride and groom cute cooed in their seats, when there was a chilling squeal.

\- E-e-e-e-e-u-u-u-u!

The frightened guests ran to the door, and were shocked by what they saw.

Mary Anne and Rosa, screaming and wriggling, hysterically jumped in place, waving their arms. The frightened servant held in his hands their summer cloaks, on which, as it turned out, there were some terrible insects.

'Oh my God, they creep over me!' Mary Anne sobbed, shaking her clothes convulsively, although there were no caterpillars on her already.

'What's happened?' There was a soft question from Madame Elroy, and this calmed down everyone at once. A real lady kept her composure in any situation.

'Caterpillars…' Rose whimpered like a little girl. 'There were caterpillars on my cloak!'

The old lady pursed her lips.

'I'm sorry that you had to go through this. But this does not justify your behaviour. These cries…' She frowned, and all the guests suddenly changed their minds.

'Just caterpillars,' one relative said. 'This park is so huge that even a deer wander freely. It was not necessary at all to throw a fit.'

Candy and Neil approached to the crowd of guests. The young Legan's face was expressing such sincere sympathy and surprise that Candy, unable to resist, pinched his hand.

'Don't overact!' She giggled.

The gossips put on their accursed cloaks and left the celebration with stone faces.

The music sounded, and the Madame Elroy's nod made it clear that Candy and Neil should also be dancing.

The plighted lovers were whirled in a waltz to the beautiful music.

A strange twist of fate took place, this music was the same one that Candy danced with Anthony, and then with Terry, as if it was a special love tune, an eternal circle of history that went up, like a spiral, repeating itself in some things.

Listening to these tender sounds, the girl seemed to rise above the ground, she felt the warmth of Neil's hands, his eyes, in which the fire of love flared, pierced through her, and she blushed and turned away, in order to search his eyes again in a moment.

Anthony was her first love, her childhood, left her to this music, gentle and timid, then a new turn - her youthful love for Terry, college bright days and now, the music becomes louder, more demanding, and she has the love of a man, love not only sublime, but also carnal, sensual, these are future children, new roads, new horizons, but now she is not afraid, and goes there, following this trembling music that calls her to know what it is - the fire of love, what is the life together, where joys and sorrows are waiting.

It seemed to her that her loved men bless her to go forward, let her go and wish her happiness, and she also wished happiness to all people on the earth.

Candy tightened Neil's hand harder, and he cuddled her closer to him a little more than the rules required, and the lovers smiled a little at their little tricks…

'It seems that our Candy is really in love with him,' Tom Steve said to his father quietly.

'Yes, indeed…' The old farmer answered absentmindedly. His attentive eyes followed the young couple and yes, although their eyes burned with mutual feeling, Mr. Steve lived in the world for too long, and therefore could not share the joy of his son. The story when the landlord eldest son falls in love with the servant or the governess, had a sad end in most cases…

'If only he did not hurt our Candy,' the man was thinking. 'She is smart and strong, like a guy, but if she entrusted her heart to him... Oh, she'd better marry a man of her class, my Tom, for example. Then I would not be worried about her…'

The music stopped, and the lovers unclasped their hands with perceptible regret.

Mr. Steve approached them.

'I can not speak beautifully,' he began to speak. 'Just say - be happy,' he looked into the young Legan's dark eyes. 'Take care of her, guy,' he was looking at his beautiful, sleek face, as if trying to see if this man would hurt Candy, or would love her for the rest of the day. But the future is closed from the sight of mere mortals, and only time will tell whether the girl from the shelter was right in her choice or not… 'Do not hurt her,' the old farmer added.

'Listen,' Daniel laughed, 'you say as if she does not get married, but at least she climbs the scaffold!' Нe put his arm around the girl who embarrassed. 'And I'm not going to hurt her, as you've said.'

'Mr. Steve, I love him,' Candy said innocently.

The old cowboy laughed deafeningly and shook hands with the groom, and then embraced Candy.

'However, stay strong and do not let anyone to offend you,' he whispered.  
The music stopped suddenly, and a whisper of surprise was heard from the audience.

Mr. Steve, Neil and Candy turned to the noise.

The butler threw open the door and announced loudly, 'Mr. William Albert Andrew!'


	60. Chapter 60

Neil felt growing annoyance when he looked at this man who, of course, was well-versed in showy appearing.

Dressed in a snow-white suit with a red carnation plugged into the buttonhole, very tanned, the head of the Andrew clan was, undoubtedly, unusually handsome.

Neal immediately hated this nomad's white suit - as if he could not choose a different colour, - his blue eyes, staring at the crowd with a demented indifference, and these nasty sun-burned white hair.

'He appeared ... Dressed like for a parade. And the cousin, the cousin, how he began to rush, ran up. It's nasty to see.'

Actually, the young Legan thought that, having received the invitation, Albert, still will not come. Firstly, he will not have time, and secondly ... Well, he just will not come. Or maybe Daniel only hoped for this. Now it was necessary to maintain self-control, and it was not so easy. One thing pleased him - Candy, instead of rejoicing the "older brother's" appearing, looked with fear at the figure approaching them and then moved her radiant eyes to him, Neil, as if seeking support.

The bride had mixed feelings. Previously, she would have rushed to meet her guardian angel with a cry of joy. But now she felt embarrassed and some kind of incomprehensible irritation. After Albert confessed his love and tried to kiss her, her attitude towards him changed, although she desperately denied this in the mind's eye.

Previously, she could embrace him as a faithful old friend, as a defender, as a close person, as a ghostly image of a family she never had. When Albert was cooking, when she came to the apartment where he was waiting for her, a close friend, the feeling of home and family became more real and brighter.

But now ... Now there was a man in love with her in front of her, and everything was completely different. Every touch, embrace, word had a completely different meaning.

For some reason she was embarrassed by him, she was ashamed that he saw her in her pyjamas…

And, writing that she wants to see him, the girl was cunning. She would like for a while not to see him, until his feelings for her do not abate.

Today is the day of their engagement with Neil, Candy just wanted to enjoy each other with him, and the appearing of Albert automatically meant clarifying the relationship. How she is tired of this! Archie, Annie ... And now Albert. He will begin to be rather boring again with his 'Did you forget how he mocked you?!...' It feels like everyone just likes to savour these memories.

William looked sadly at his girl. Having received the confused letter from Archie, he decided to come, although he already decided it when he had received an invitation from Neil.

'Everyone loves in their own way…' He thought, buying the first availabletickets for the required flight.  
He loves Candy, but she rejected his love. Did she felt something for this Neil thereat? She'd never liked him.

Are those methods that Daniel used found a response in the heart of his tricky girl? Did she fall in love with the man who tortured her for all her childhood, and then, trying to confess his love, locked her with a key?

No, he would never understand this. But here, his Candy is so happy being next to Neil ... He would feel compulsion, violence, nothing would deceive him. And Albert felt that intuition did not lie this time too - Candy was happy. And she was happy not with him.

'I have come in vain, in vain ', the man thought, getting closer to the young couple. But he had to make sure with his own eyes that this was Candy's choice, that this was not the violence of this Legan.

Albert gently laid his hand on the Archibald's shoulder, who was running up-judging by his burning eyes, he was having a hard time. Archie drooped at once and retreated into the crowd.

'Everyone loves in their own way,' William whispered. Yes, it would be better to love Candy in his own way, to be close, to be needed, without opening up... And he couldn't stand, he... And now, looking into the eyes of her beloved, he felt what he had never felt - she fenced herself off from him.

Fool, idiot! After all, he could, he could restrain himself, do not kiss her! And then he could be next to her. It would be painful, sorely, but he could stand by her side, maybe even lead her to the altar. But to be next to her... And now he sees her for the last time.

The head of Andrew clan looked at Legan, whose face expressed a poorly concealed irritation, if not hatred. All right, he will not disturb the lovers with his presence for a long time.

Wise for his age, he realized that if he now stands in the way of his freckled girl, he will turn into her enemy. And he so wanted to stay at least a friend…

The right words were found when he approached the betrothed couple.

'I thought I would be late, but I still managed to come.'

Neil stared at him with hostility, and Albert felt how Daniel's dark eyes burned him with hatred. Candy looked at him with bewilderment, stepping closer to the bridegroom.

Albert tried to smile.

'I am glad that I managed to come, and I wish you happiness. Candy. I really care about you. The only thing I've always wanted for you is happiness.'

William gave his hand to Daniel, who shook it unwillingly. He looked incredulously, as if expecting a sudden attack.

And then Albert embraced Candy. For the last time.


	61. Chapter 61

'You can't just leave!'

Archie caught up Albert leaving the estate and, grabbed his shoulder, forced him to turn round.

'What are you doing?' The young man asked. 'How can you do this? How you can leave? You have to stop, break off the engagement, you have to do something!'

'Archie…' The man put his hands on the young man's shoulders, trying to calm him down. 'Sometimes you have to leave.'

'But…'

'Everyone loves in their own way. My love is to let her go.'

Albert's attentive eyes noticed that young Cornwell's anxiety about Candy's fate was too strong to be friendly.

'She will be happy. She's a strong person.'

'But he…'

'Maybe we are too prejudged towards him. He can change, can not he? Being next to Candy.'

'But he may not change! He can... may...' Archibald looked for something like a comparison, and then waved his hand.

'You know who he is!' He added hotly.

'And then in this case there must be a Knight next to Candy. Stay close to her.'

'Do you think so?' Brown eyes looked up, at the wise blue.

'Everyone loves in their own way,' Albert repeated. 'A knight loves his Lady. And always come to her help.'

'I understood, Albert,' Archie whispered. 'But it's so sorely.'

'Being a knight is no easy.'

'And you?'

'I have to go. That's would be better. At least for now. Maybe I'll come back later when all the passions are abated. Farewell.'

'Goodbye…'

Young Cornwell was looking at the retreating little figure of his oldest friend and felt more and more lonely.

There were three of them, three Candy's Knights. And he was left alone. Annie also left him.

Yes, he will stay with Candy. Unobtrusive and invisible. But if necessary, he will protect her...

…A maid helped Candy take off her dress, and the girl put on a nightgown, and slipped into bed with relief.

Tomorrow all the guests will leave, and she can spend the whole day together with Neil!

They will ride a boat, ride horses and walk in the huge Andrew park. Neil said this by himself, saying goodbye before going to sleep.

It's just wonderful!

Despite the fatigue, the girl could not fall asleep. They will slide on a boat on the lake surface, Neil will be on the oars, and the sun rays will play on the water surface and in his brown eyes, like little devils.  
They will ride horses, and she will feel the warmth of his hands, the sound of his heart…  
The girl's thoughts returned to Mr. Albert. A tear ran down her cheek. For some reason, Miss White felt that he had said goodbye forever, and it was very sad. She didn't want everything to work out in this way…

But Albert loves her, and he chose this path - to wish happiness and leave. She can not force him to stay... What a pity that you can not make all people happy! To be all together and happy-happy! Like any person in love, Candy wanted everyone around to find their soul mate, and everything would be fine, but life is not a bed of roses.

Then the girl thought about Annie. She never came up to them, and for some reason she quietly left the celebration. Maybe she felt bad? It's necessary to find out.  
The eyes just couldn't stay open, and Candy began to dream of the Neil again. Her lips remembered his kisses, and the body - his tender embrace. Tomorrow she will see him, right in the morning! How she wanted time to go faster! And the girl fell asleep.


	62. Chapter 62

The sun rays gently woke the sleeping girl. Candy opened her eyes. The light made its way through the curtains and the morning promised to be wonderful.

Miss White threw back the blanket and jumped off the bed. Today she will spend the whole day with her beloved!

In impatience, the girl smacked barefoot along the carpet and opened the wardrobe. Oh! It took her breath away, when she saw the wide variety of dresses of different colours.

There was a knock at the door, and Candy cried out, 'Come in!'

'You are already awake?' It was the maid, who pulled the curtains apart and let more light in.

'Yes! I can't sleep for a long time, today is such a wonderful day!' There was that joyful excitement in the girl's voice, which distinguishes all young lovers.

The maid could not help but smile.

'I'll bring you breakfast, and then help you to dress up. Have you already chosen a dress?'

'Not yet… Help me, I want to be the most beautiful today!'

The excitement in the girl's voice made the maid smile softly.

'I promise, miss, today you will be the Spring itself!'

Candy always had good appetite, but now, to her own surprise, she was able to eat only two croissants and drink some coffee - for some reason she was very worried.

Yesterday, she and Neil became closer to each other, and very soon they will become a husband and wife.

It was so strange, unusual, but so wonderful! The girl caught her breath with happiness, when she thought about her future family.  
Is this really happening?

'I'm so happy, Mom, Dad, if you'd seen me today! I'm so happy!'

Candy's hands trembled a little when she washed her face. Is it possible to be so happy?

The maid, despite the resistance of the girl, helped her to dress up, and now she was combing Miss White's hair, who was looking at her own reflection in the mirror with mistrust.

Is this really she, this stranger in a gentle violet dress that so highlights her green eyes, white skin and golden-reddish hair? The dress did not hamper her movements and was daylight, but how beautiful it was!  
The maid combed Candy's hair back and fastened it with a violet ribbon.

'You are so young and beautiful, miss!' She admired.

Candy hugged the maid.

'Thank you! Thanks!'

'By the way, you have a note from the groom.'

The woman gave her a small envelope.

'But why did not you tell me right away!' Candy almost cried. 'What if he is already waiting for me?'

'Because I could not let you run down right in the nightgown,' the maid laughed.

Miss White impatiently tore the envelope.

'Good morning, little sleepyhead!  
Waiting for you in the living room to ride horses, and then to sail on a boat.  
P.S. And of course, in order to kiss, kiss and kiss you again while doing this. Neil.'

Candy rushed to the door, flung it open and rushed down the stairs.

'Miss! Wait! Where are you going?' She heard the voice from behind, but did not stop.

… Neil was reading the newspaper in the living room. "Reading" - this is not exactly said, it would be more accurate to call his actions "looking through the newspaper," "wasting time," or something like that.

If you ask a young man about what was written in today's issue, he would not remember a single line.

He was in love so much, and his young bride occupied all his thoughts.

Young Legan looked at the clock, on which the arrow seemed to be stopped - the time was passing so slowly! He sent Candy a note, and he wanted to send one more and more, but he stopped in time - there is no need to show your impatience so much.

Neil flipped the newspaper pages once again, when, he raised his eyes and saw a lilac cloud is going down the stairs.

He barely had time to stand up and spread his arms, as the beloved was in his arms.

'Who is sleeping so long?' Neil asked, greedily kissing his beloved's face.

'Not…me! I…was not told…that you are waiting for me,' Candy whispered between kisses.

'Let's not waste any more time,' Legan took the bride's hand. 'I so want to be face-to-face with you!'

'Me too, me too!' The girl smiled, and these words echoed in the man's ears with wonderful music.

Lovers walked to the stables, where a horse was already prepared for them. All around was unusually quiet - many guests left after the reception, and those who stayed at night were still asleep at that early hour.

Neil helped Candy to climb on a horse, and then sat down himself. His beloved was in his arms.

The young man spurred the horse, and they rode forward in the huge Andrew park.

The paths, the trees, the pond, all was passing by them, Miss White heard the patter of hoofs, the sound of her heart.

Embracing her beloved strongly, she felt the warmth of his body, the sound of his heart, the strength of his hands, heard his breath.

They are near, as close as they can be, they are together, they fly forward, and the wind blows their hair.

'What a wonderful life!' The girl said out loud.

Neil drawn the reins, and the horse, slowing down briefly, started to pace.

'Yes, it's wonderful, just perfect…' The man whispered, clasping his bride closer to him and kissing her lips.

Morning sun rays brightly illuminated this picture - the lovers embracing on a horseback.


	63. Chapter 63

Annie woke up with the feeling that something good had happened. Rolled over in the bed and rubbing her eyes, the girl tried to remember what had happened.

And suddenly it dawned on her - she had broken up with Archie! Why then she has a sense of freedom and joyous, almost childlike inspiration?

Miss Brighton went to the window and opened the curtains. The Brighton's mansion park was laying in front of her, the water in the fountain sparkled in the sun like diamonds, the bird singing pacified the soul.

For the first time in a long period, the girl felt free. She thought she could not bear the parting, she was already ready to cry for at least a week, so she returned here to be away from friends, from the Chicago society.

But, to Annie's surprise, she did not want to cry. On the contrary, a feeling of eternal anxiety left her.

Archie, Archie, all her thoughts and desires were subject only to one thing - to Archie's love.  
She did not realize this and thought these desires was her own, but now, being free from this relationship, the girl realized how she was bound with this ubiquitous "to be loved by Archie".

Then, at school, she first felt that her beloved had chosen her not quite of his own free will. And unconsciously, Annie began to behave so that he did not regret about it and even more, was glad of his choice.

If they were going to somewhere, she first thought, "Would Archie like this?", and only then she cared about herself, dressing up, she cared "If Archie will be impressed?". She got used to not argue with her lover, then, imperceptibly, this behaviour became painful for her, and she was irritated by herself and by Archie, who did not suspect what the matter was.

'Do you love me?' She asked again and again and, receiving an affirmative answer, still did not believe. In the depths of her soul, she did not consider that she deserve to be with him, and this tormented her.

Eternal orphan habit - the desire to be liked - by adoptive parents, educators, anyone who has power over the orphan, taught her to demand approval constantly.

But deep down inside she wanted to be desired, loved just like that, have a difficult nature, do not concede and do not agree with everything, and do not be afraid to be rejected.

The longer their relationship lasted, the more Miss Brighton was afraid of losing her fiancé.  
The marriage seemed a panacea for this quiet humiliation, she could become a wife and relax and no longer trying "to do everything that Archie was pleased".

But the broken engagement and the subsequent Archie's behaviour completely weakened her.  
She did not go into hysteric, as any self-respecting girl would do. She did not even break up with him forever. She left him the chance to be with her again.

The last straw was her attempts to make him jealous on Neil's advice.

It was terrible, dressing up just to make him jealous! The girl felt as if she was just an object, unnecessary, bored, trying to earn attention by the fact that she would not belong to the owner any more.

It was sorely.

Annie felt that Archie was slipping away, leaving her, and she was clinging to him with frantically clenched fingers.

And now she let him go. By herself.

And it was an amazing feeling that nothing needed to be done. There is no need to think about whether Archie marries her or not, what dress he would like, where he would like to go, how to behave, and how to remake herself and make him, finally, fell in love with her!

Now, in the end, this task did not need to be solved any more. Yes, she failed, but the price of victory was too high. She was losing herself.

Miss Brighton approached the mirror.

Yes, she is an orphan, her parents abandoned her. But now she already has adoptive parents, for a long time! They gave her their name and love her.

She is young and beautiful.

She can be who she really is.

A whole life opened before her. Her own life full of adventures and roads.


	64. Chapter 64

The oars fell into the water with a quiet splash, and the boat almost silently slipped along the lake.

Candy sat with her legs outstretched in purple shoes and held a small umbrella over her head. She watched Neil with a smile, he was rowing the boat and led it to the centre of the pond in the Andrew park.

The day was just wonderful - sunlight flashed on the water surface, birds were singing, grass around the pond was neatly trimmed.

The girl looked at the beautiful sunburnt Neil's face with love, he was enthusiastically telling something and smiling.

She loves him!

She loved his dark eyes, so warm and home now, she loved when the forks of flame danced in them, his well-defined eyebrows, his smile, the way he shrugged his shoulders, jerked his chin, his movements, his laughter, his hair framing his face with such cute carelessness.

The girl felt that he held her dear, and that now he loved her not with the love of a spoiled boy, but with the sincere and profound love of a man who appreciate her.

Candy felt that Neil cares about she felt comfortable, even in small things, that now he is attentive and polite with her, and she almost physically felt the warmth of his love.

And when he kisses her, she just loses her mind. It is incomparable sense of delight, when a hot fire coming from the heart spread throughout the body, and the legs do not obey her.  
Candy leaned slightly to the right and dropped her hand into the pond. The water was quite warm. The girl jokingly squeezed and unclenched her fingers, extending her hand in the face of the Nile, and a few glittering drops were on his smiling face.

Betrothed lovers laughed with happy laughter, which does not require any reasons at all, only one thought excited these two loving people - they were in love, young and together, and laughter burst from the chest.

Laughing, they leaned forward and kissed each other.

They were alone, and no one could disturb them!

'You know, I dreamed about it,' Neil said.

Candy raised her shining eyes.

'About we were together?'

'Yes. And about how we would sail on a boat. Just like now. Dreamed so long ago.'

Miss White leaned forward.

'And how long ago, how?' She, like every girl in love, wanted to know exactly what her beloved thought about her, and when and under what conditions.

'A long time ago. It was probably more than three years ago. It was August, as it is now. I was sitting on a terribly boring reception organized in my honour, and one of the girls was reading poems about a white sail afar, and I was only thinking of you.'

'Was thinking of me!' Candy admired, keeping her hand near her heart - it started to beat so hard.

'Yes, I thought of you. Of us. How we will be well together. I imagined everything in small details.'

Candy blushed.

'Do you also think about us, at least sometimes?' Neil winked.

'Yes.'

The young man put the oars and took the bride's hands.

'Since then, I've always been thinking of us. I was sure that someday, we will still be together! And now my dreams come true.'

'I love you,' Candy said softly, struck by the strength of the feeling that sounded in his voice.

Daniel kissed his beloved's hands.

'And I love you very, very much…'

The boat drifted inaudibly closer to the shore, where trees grew near the water. Hidden by heavy foliage, they fixed the boat, but stayed in it.

And suddenly the lovers heard the quiet sounds of bagpipes.


	65. Chapter 65

Sad music was approaching, as if the person playing it came closer to the lake.  
Neil quietly got out of the boat and gave his hand to Candy. Obeying the sudden feeling, the young people quietly approached the trunk of a tree, hidden by branches and foliage and pushed softly one of the branches.

It was Archie! He walked slowly, playing on this traditional instrument. Archibald was dressed in a Scottish costume, and Candy suddenly remembered the three brothers who said goodbye to her when she was due to leave for Mexico.

'Why he is dressed up like this?' Neil asked in a whisper, but Miss White heard anxiety in his voice.

Archie came very close to their tree and stopped. Sad music reached its culmination.

'He seems to be saying goodbye to someone,' Candy thought and suddenly saw a tear running from under the Archie's lowered lashes, leaving a wet path on his cheek.

He is crying! Archie is crying!

Candy moved forward to help and already wanted to call her friend, but she felt Neil clench her hand tightly, almost painfully.

'Let's go from here,' Neil whispered almost inaudible.

Miss White raised her eyes in surprise.

'But he…'

'I think he wants to be alone.'

'Yes, probably he is right,' the girl thought, silently stepping on the grass with her small shoes.  
Daniel carefully took her in his arms and put her in a boat. Pulling off the shore, Neil slowly put the oars into the water so that the splash of water did not betray them.

They moved along the trees, and then sailed to the other side of the pond.

Archie was crying! But why?

Candy looked at Neil and saw that he also had a sad and very serious face.

When they met Archie at lunch, it felt like that scene at the pond was just a wraith.

Young Cornwell apologized that he did not congratulate them yesterday and brought them the most sincere, in his words, congratulations.

Actually, Archie became very nice, he did not attack Neil with hints, did not doubt out loud in their feelings and did not offer Candy to think more and did not make her hesitate about her choice.  
It was extremely strange, as if a completely different person appeared instead of yesterday's Archi.

Candy turned to Neil, who moved his chair slightly closer to her than it was allowed and, meeting with his eyes, understood that he was also perplexed by this abrupt change.  
Archie, in turn, watching the engaged couple, saw that their feelings were mutual and, although tried, he could not see Neil's inattention or disrespect to Candy.

If he did not know both of them so well, he would have thought that these two always loved each other - their eyes so shone, they tried to touch each other, their voices sound so casually and tenderly when they talked to each other.

Yes, he made the right decision. It's not possible to fight with love. He must stay as Candy's Knight and be able to protect her, if it would be necessary.

After lunch, Madame Elroy appeared and reminded the bride and groom of their duties.  
Their duties consisted in responding to that pack of congratulatory letters that were lying on special tables, already neatly sorted out for those intended for Neil and for Candy.

'The rules of high society oblige us to answer each letter, to thank for each gift, even if it is insignificant, and it should be done no later than the next day after the engagement!' The old lady said strongly.

Restrained their sighs, the lovers winked and, taking each one's pile, went to the bedrooms to write the answers.

Candy had no doubt that Neil would like to deal with the answers as quickly as possible, and she also would.  
The maid brought tea and cookies and neatly put it on the desk next to Miss White. Candy put aside another letter and crunched her finger knuckles.

'Oh! I didn't write so much since the time I was preparing for the exams.'

The maid smiled and went to the door.

Then Candy took the next letter and suddenly froze thunderstruck.

The girl would recognize this handwriting among thousands of others - neatly straight and firm, unlike the sweeping-impatient Neil's handwriting.

It was a letter from Terry!


	66. Chapter 66

Candy felt a lack of air.

With intensive efforts she quickly put the letter into a bunch of others so that it was not visible.  
'Mary, I…'

The maid turned around.

'I'm very tired, I want to go to bed,' the girl said quickly with disobedient lips.

'My God, miss, you're chalky pale!' The maid rushed to Candy and put the arm around her shoulders.

'I'm just very tired, I need to sleep. Yesterday was a difficult day, and today we were riding on horses and on a boat for the whole day.'

'Yes-yes, right,' Maria muttered, untying the lacing on the Miss White's back.

'Do you need something else?'

'No-no, i just want to sleep for an hour. Don't disturb me.'

She wanted to stay alone.

'Ring the bell if you need anything,' Maria said, and left.

As soon as the door closed, Candy rushed to the letter pile and fished out an unfortunate letter. She got cold - this letter was laying in front of everybody, and it was just some incomprehensible miracle that Neil did not see it!

Oh, Lord!

The girl quickly tore up the envelope and read.

'Candy, I'm sorry that writing to you, but I found out that you're engaged to Nail. It's true? He made you, are you in trouble? I beg, tell me if everything is all right, I will definitely find a way to help you.  
Terrus.'

'Damn!' Suddenly, Candy cried out. 'Damn, damn, damn!'

She crumpled the letter and hardly resisted not to shred it.

What kind of madness! Why can not she be left alone? The terrible feeling of the nightmare that nearly came to pass squeezed her soul, but what if this letter came to the Neil? Or he would have found out about it?

'He would never believe that everything was over for a long time ago. That we did not communicate for all these years. He is already very jealous, and this... Oh, damn!'

Why is the fate so cruel that everything returns when it is not only not necessary, but hinders happiness ... How she sobbed, how she suffered, and how much she would give for the letter from Terry then, three years ago! And now she does not need it, now, she is afraid of receiving it!  
Now, when the wedding is near, and she wants to enjoy peace, silence, the brightest feelings, why should she be so afraid?

She is very afraid that Neil will not believe her. She is afraid of losing him. He is so proud that he simply will not believe a single word, and she would not believe herself …  
And what should she does? Leave Terry? Reply? And if Neil finds out she's writing letters to Terry? If he would just see the envelope with his address…

And if she doesn't reply... Then Terry can come to the wedding to rescue her.

Why, why everybody around are such idiots?

Why can not she just marry like millions of other women?

Why does everyone want to save her, when she absolutely does not need it.

Why should she explain to everyone why she fell in love with Daniel Legan, and when it happened, and how many minutes and how many seconds, and for what she loved him and how much, and whether she really feels what she feels!

Does Annie dissect her feelings to Archie in such a way? Or does someone else think about these questions?

Yes, many knew that they disliked each other with Neil earlier. But now they are adults, just a man and a woman, why she is denied that she can choose a person to be next to her?

If she needed help, she would, of course, apply, does not she?

Candy rushed about the room like a wounded beast.

Write it? Do not write? Talk to Neil? Not to talk to him?

She knew that Neil was not just jealous her to Terry. She truly felt with the feminine instincts, that the women Neil was with, meant nothing to him now. It was only the physical attraction of a man and a woman, and in the place of one girl it could easily be another.

And his feelings for Candy were completely different. He loved her with all his heart, and now she knew it. And she also loved him, oh, how she loved him now!

But she loved Terry too. Therefore, if Neil notice that she is writing to him, then...

Neal will not even listen to her. He's too impulsive.

And she loved him just like that.

'Mom, mommy, tell me what to do?' The girl whispered feverishly, pacing the room.


	67. Chapter 67

'Miss Candice?' There was a knock at the door, and Candy recognized the voice, despite the fact that she had not seen this girl for a long time. It was Dorothy, a servant from the Legan house.

'Is it you, Dorothy?' Miss White asked with a hoarse voice to make sure.

'Yes. I've come to…'

Candy rushed to the door, opened it and dragged the bewildered servant inside.

'Dorothy, Dorothy, honey, you have to help me,' she whispered feverishly. 'Dorothy, I need to do something, I do not have anyone, absolutely no one to consult, Dorothy…'

Poor Candy could not get up the nerve and tell about everything in order. The thought that she might lose her beloved because of this misunderstanding made her to panic. What if Neil had already seen this letter? And waiting for explanations?

And if he did not see, what is better, tell him or not? And how to explain that she had nothing to do with it? Oh my God, she was so afraid of a letter from Terry, but here it is!  
Dorothy understood the Miss White's excitement quite differently.

She arrived just after hearing about the engagement and as soon as she could find a plausible excuse, broke out of the Legan's house in Lakewood. She must at least to try to save this kind girl from this terrible host's son.

Dorothy knew too well who Daniel Legan was in his childhood.

'Calm down, Candice, calm down,' she mumbled, embracing a trembling girl. 'We'll figure something out!'

'Yes-yes, look,' Candy handed a crumpled sheet of paper to the maid.

'It's a letter!' Dorothy ran the lines with her eyes. 'Interesting, Terrence Granchester is a famous actor.'

'We loved each other,' Candy whispered.

' Excellent!' The maid jumped up. 'He writes that he will help you! You will be able to escape!'

'E-escape? Where?' Miss White looked at her inappropriately.

'There no matter where! He will think up. The main thing, away from this beast.'

Candy stood up too, feeling that she began to tremble.

'From what beast?' She asked defiantly.

Dorothy shook her head, understanding absolutely nothing.

'Well…' She looked at the white face of the future potential housewife and continued uncertainly. 'From Mr. Daniel Legan.'

'What is happening!' Candy shouted, tearing the letter from the dumbfounded maid's hands. 'Do you all have conspired or what? ! Why do you all, all wish me evil? Go away, go, until I beat you!'

Dorothy stepped back in fright, as she never saw Miss White in this condition.

'Go away, go away!' Candy shouted, closing the door, and bursting into sobs. Everyone's against her, and absolutely nobody wants to help her!

And everybody in the house must have heard her screams, now they will come, and…

And Neil will come too.

The girl began to shred the letter to small pieces, trying to calm down.


	68. Chapter 68

Neil heard a noise, and left his room. He was already beginning to realize that something had happened to Candy, because everyone gathered in her room who heard screams: mother, father, grandmother Elroy…

Frightened Dorothy ran past, and Legan grabbed her by the shoulders.

'What's happened?!'

'Miss Candice, she…' The maid fell silent in fright.

Neil shook her again, but did not get a response and ran to the bride's room.  
'Get out of here, this is not a circus,' he said rudely, passing by relatives who made way for the future Legan family head.

Neil opened the door and went in, closing it tightly behind him.

Candy was setting near the bed and crying, covering her face with her hands. It was clear that these were not just ordinary tears, but something serious, because she was trembling nervously, and she could not calm down. There were scraps of a letter around the girl.

Neil approached the girl, and she, sensing his presence, lifted her face up.  
'Oh, Neil, Neil…' She gave him her arms, and Daniel picked his beloved up.

Candy embraced the Neil's neck, and, feeling his warmth, his native smell, buried her face in his shoulder, she even wanted to cry even more because of the thought that now he would find out about the letter and become angry and would not embrace her in this way... She need to tell him everything until it's not too late, but the girl seems to have no strength left.

She was very very tired.

Neil carefully put the bride on the bed and, embracing her, sat down next to her, right onto the bed.  
'Well, do not cry, I'm near,' he said quietly.

Candy was hugging him with her thin hands, she was only in her nightgown, and Neil could see her shoulders, soft outlines of the chest and thighs, but at that moment he did not feel such burning desire as recently, he saw that his beloved was ill, and he was gentle with her, as with a child.

Legan rang the bell, and Mary entered.

'Call our doctor and bring water,' he ordered the maid shortly.  
When Mary went out, Candy tried to tell what had happened.  
'L-letter,' she whispered.

Neil felt so furious that he could hardly restrain himself

So that's it! Most likely, their careless secretaries did not check everything properly, and Candy got some nasty letter with blackmail, threats or something else. This could have happened, because not all members of the Andrew clan were delighted that their representative would give their name to a lowborn girl.

Tomorrow he will fire them all.

'Do not think about it, forget it,' Neil stroked his beloved's golden curls.

'Should not I answer him? And what if he will come here?' Candy asked.

'Answer? Answer? Oh, don't say that! And if he comes here, I'll shoot him like a partridge. Do not be afraid of anyone, Candy.'

Miss White even stopped crying with surprise at what she heard, but at that moment the doctor came in.

He spread out a variety of powders on the table and said calmly.

'The most common hysteria that is normal for young girls who are too tired before the wedding or engagement.'

Neil looked at the doctor with fright.

'Yes-yes,' the doctor continued, pouring some powder into a glass. 'All these hours-long fittings, excitement, a huge number of people have such a disastrous effect on the tender feelings of young ladies. I ask you to leave.'

Legan obeyed, and, leaving the room hissed at the relatives and servants gathered under the door.

'It's you, it's all your fault!' He grumbled at everyone, cursing under his breath. 'Why are you staring and clapping your eyes like an owl? It's you, the blame belongs on your doorstep.'

He jumped to his mother, emotionally waving his arms.

'Was it really necessary to have so many fittings? 10 dresses a day, every day, without dinner! Standing for several hours while dresses are fixing on her, what kind of person would withstand this?!'

'But you said that everything should be at the highest level…' Mrs. Legan began to make excuses, but the son interrupted her.

'No one said that it was necessary to torture her. And you, you, grandmother? Why did you need to invite so many people? And all sorts of nasty women, knowing that Candy will be worried!'

He looked around.

'You, you all thought only about yourself, about your problems, no one pitied her, and she is so tender!'

'Tender?...' Madame Elroy began with surprise, but the grandson's furious sight made her silenced.

'And you, dear cousin?!' Neil ran to Archi, clenched his hands in fists. 'Because of you and Annie, she cried several times a day, she tried and tried again to reconcile with you, but you were firmly on your own, it is unclear whose interests you're upholding, yours or hers! Happy now, yeah? Are you satisfied?'

Suddenly, the forces left him and, with his hands down, he looked at Dorothy, who was standing, swallowing her tears.

'And you were the last straw that overflowed the cup of her patience. My God! Everybody around only did what they tried to upset her! She was fired from her job, friends left her, and why is this so?!'

There was a silence.

'I warn you, everyone,' Neil spoke in low voice, pronouncing every word properly. 'If any of you upset her, accidentally or intentionally, I will arrange a merry life for him, regardless of the degree of kinship!'

The doctor looked out from behind the door, inviting Neil inside.

'Two days full of rest, sleep, watch her eat. She confessed to me that because of the pre-wedding excitement, she lost her appetite. At least two weeks no visits, no new faces, no receptions, no fittings or any other nonsense.'

'Yes, sure.'  
'I prescribed a light sedative, but it will only help if external troubles do not disturb her.'

'Thank you.'

The doctor came out, and Neil sat down and took Candy's hand.

'Neil, I have to tell you, you probably did not understand me,' the girl spoke in a hurry, and the beloved slightly squeezed her hand, and then moved to her and embraced her.

'I listen.'

'Neil, it was the letter from Terry. He asked if I really marry you. I was frightened that you would get angry, that he wrote to me and ... cancel the wedding.'

Neil embraced the girl more tightly, and the tears left, and the body was cuddled with pleasant warmth, she felt like it was a dream.

'And you're crying because of this?'

'Already not.'

'Our wedding will not be cancelled - neither by me, nor by you, nor by anyone else. You are mine forever!'

'And you're mine.'


	69. Chapter 69

… Neil crumpled another piece of paper and threw it on the floor.

Damn, damn!

Everything he tried to write was a complete nonsense. And the very idea of answering Terry's letter seemed to be absurd.

But it was the best of a bad lot.

Neil could not allow Candy to answer the letter by herself in no case. The thing is not that he did not trust her, but all this farewell script does not promise anything good. Having written the last letter, she will remember about him, then again and again, she will cry... no!

It is also dangerous not to answer at all, he would come and check whether Candy is going to marry him, and he might even meet her.

Damn! It is impermissible anyway.

Daniel decided to take it upon himself. He will answer right now, while Candy is resting, and if she asks about it in the morning, he will say that he just did not want to worry her and answered by himself. If she gets angry because he did not involve her in this business, well, he will be ready to endure her discontent. But there will be nothing to be done, and she will not write him.

Neil gnawed the tip of the pen. But the letter must be convincing and full of dignity.

Convincing - that this actor did not come to check. And full of dignity - well, it goes without saying.

Neil leaned back in his chair and looked up. Memories of the distant past floated in front of him. College!

God, how he hated this man!

If he had been asked then who he hated more, Candy or Terry, Neil would difficulty answer. The hatred for Candy was familiar, and this Grantchester…

He hated everything in him. His insolent habits, pretty face all the girls, including his sister, was thrilled with, his mode of dressing, his appearance. His indifference to the opinion of others.

But most of all he hated the fact that Terry was constantly out of his business.

Legan sighed. Maybe he should have been grateful to Terry that he stopped him when he mocked Candy, but ... Damn, it was not his business.

Thoughts about this man reminded Neil of the worst of his actions, and that person revealed them. And he hated him for this too.

Moreover, although he would never have admitted this, he hated him purely as a man because he was stronger.

And also because Candy loved him. This can not be forgiven. He was fraught with danger.  
Neil sighed again and dipped a pen into the inkwell.

'I'll write as it is, and damn him. He doesn't deserve the honor.'

He began to write quickly, imagining himself and his enemy, when they were fifteen, and trying not to re-read the written.

'Greetings, Terry..

I ripped about a dozen attempts to answer your letter, so be content with this one.  
Me and Candy are going to be married. My intentions are the most serious. I'm not going to discuss the remaining issues of our private life, neither with reporters, nor with my family, nor, especially, with you.

I consider insulting your doubt in the bride's voluntary consent to the marriage, and I am also not going to comment on it.

Good luck. I really hope that my answer will be enough that we no longer receive letters like that.

Daniel Legan.'

Neil quickly folded the letter and put it into the envelope. Having written the address and the addressee, he sighed with satisfaction. 'I hope he has the intelligence to understand that the fact that I answer to him means that the truth is on my side.'

The man rang the bell, and a servant entered the room.

'Send it immediately,' Neil ordered.

'But it's already evening, and it would be better…'

'"Immediately" means immediately! I want this letter to be on the addressee's desk until this morning.'

'Yes, of course, as you say.'  
Daniel sat back in satisfaction in his chair. Then he collected the drafts of the letter and threw them into the fireplace.


	70. Chapter 70

…Candy was laying in bed and could not fall asleep. Now, when she calmed down, she was terribly ashamed of her recent behaviour. Indeed, why was she such a crybaby, and the fact that she was rude to Dorothy ... How she could behave like that!

'It will be necessary to apologize to Dorothy in the morning,' the girl decided.

Candy sat on the bed and then, after thinking, she went to the table. A letter from Terry. And why is she so angry? Terry was just worried about her.

Just like Archie, Annie, Mr. Albert, Dorothy, Mr. Steve and the others. Well, that's all.

They all considered Daniel Legan a monster. And they wanted to prevent her from making a mistake.

Neil, Neil! It seemed to her that his face reflected on the window glass. His ironic look, his smile, his warmth... Candy knew that Neil was different with and with others. Maybe it was not right, but she saw him differently. She saw that he really loved her, she felt it.

And when she could lose him, Candy realized that she loved him too. Just at the moment when she realized that she would not see his eyes anymore, she realized that she loved. That happened in some imperceptible way for her.

The girl's thoughts imperceptibly led to the story of Romeo and Juliet. In this story, lovers were hampered by hatred between their families. And it ruined everything.

And what about her… His family was against their relationship, and her friends too.

It would be better for everyone if they break up.

' But I want to be with him! And he wants to be with me!' Candy whispered. Is it really that hard to understand? Is not it possible to forget the past grievances that she had forgotten long ago?

Time needs to pass. But now they need to stand firm.

Candy went to the door. Very close, there, at the end of the corridor there is the Neil's room.

She wanted to see him. Her heart was pounding.

Recently, Neil began to behave toward her... as she was a child. Earlier, for example, he kissed her quite differently. Her legs gave way because of those kisses, and she felt her body respond to him.

And today he just kissed her cheek to say goodbye. He seemed to be trying to restrain himself, but why?

He treated her like a little girl, but Candy felt that it was not enough for her. Something inside was growing and demanding more. It was felt like some sort of hunger she could not control.

She really wanted him to kiss her like... then.

Then, when she stopped him, in her room. And why was she so scared?

The girl put her arms around her and sat down on the bed. That time he kissed her, and the whole her body coveted his touch, opened to meet him, like a flower to the hot sun.

When his hands touched her, she recognized a new self. Undiscovered, uncharted feelings she never knew about in herself, overwhelmed her up to the hilt.

It was foolish to be frightened. In general, recently she behaved silly. Indeed, like a child.

She wondered why she could not see him right now? What is the reason?

These rules, she never understood them! And did not obey. Why she had to lay and think about a person, if she could walk a few meters and see him.

She will have done it!

Miss White opened the door a little, it was dark. The whole house was asleep.

She quietly slipped out of the room and walked along the corridor, silently stepping along the carpet with her bare feet.  
'I'll just say "good night" to him, and that's all,' the girl said to herself. In fact, she did not understand why she was going to Neil. Something pushed her to go forward.

She wanted to see him at least once before sleeping, feel the warmth of his hands and his lips on hers.

Candy stopped. Here is his room. It's not too late to turn back, just walk away. He does not even know that she is so close to him.

Her heart pounded so hard that she nearly lost consciousness. What's wrong with her? Why is she so worried?

She was standing in the corridor, dressed only in nightgown, and her hands were covered with goosebumps. But it was not because of cold, but because of that strange excitement, that awakened sensuality of the body, because of this sweet fear of a man. Because of this anticipation of pleasure that bordered on pain.

If he wants to make her belong to him now, then let it be. She wants this by herself.

Candy raised her hand and knocked the door softly.


End file.
